


A tweet that clears all traffic

by Hittiske



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Closeted Alec Lightwood, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Smut, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, Human AU, M/M, Not cheating if neither of them think it that way, non-con kissing, there will be happy ending I swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:54:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 24,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28529520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hittiske/pseuds/Hittiske
Summary: Magnus and Alec see each other only for a few minutes while passing by. Can Magnus find him in New York? Will social media help Alec to come out of the closet?
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 292
Kudos: 184





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to say special thanks for [@simplepleasures101](https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplepleasures101/pseuds/simplepleasures101) who is my mentor, giving me fantastic comments, feedbacks and who spent hours helping me with the title. 😘  
> This is my first fic, so sorry for any error, and I have no idea how to tag, so please if you think I need to tag anything let me know, and CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOMED! Thank you for reading ❤️  
> Update at least once a week, but hopefully twice.

Magnus loved to live in New York. There were always so many things going on, so many things to do, and enjoy, and so many interesting people to meet. The only thing he truly hated, was the traffic. The streets were always full, and if you were trying to get from A to B, your best option was the subway, but that was always packed, and it stank like pee, and there was always a high chance you would get robbed, especially if you looked like Magnus. Absolutely magnificent with flashy clothes, and makeup. His whole appearance was to be noticed, a shout to everyone _‘See me, here I am!’_

Luckily, he had enough money to use a taxi as he started working at age 16, and still lived with his mom now, 5 years later. Of course, this little luxury set his home buying ambitions a bit back, but to live with his mom a bit longer was a small price to pay for travelling safe and clean.

He had a great relationship with his mom Alise, who worked two jobs so she could raise Magnus on her own. They moved to the US to run away from his abusive father when he was 5, and have been just on their own since. Magnus started to work in a coffee house when he became 16, then as soon as he finished high school he started to intern with a fashion magazine as well. Once the internship was over, they offered him a permanent position as an assistant, and he worked there ever since. 

Magnus managed to help her mom with the bills, while putting aside enough money each month, so now he can start looking for his own place soon, although he was afraid to leave his mom alone.  
He was sitting on the backseat now, staring out the window on the way home while the traffic was barely moving. It was another boring day, so he started to look at people and make up little stories in his mind. There was a woman on the sidewalk in all black leather, maybe she was an assassin on a mission. The old guy by the coffee shop with a young woman must be a rich programmer. 

As a hobby he started to write a novel about dragons and magicians and elves. It was his way to escape from the reality of his boring life. He had friends, and a job he liked, but partying and meaningless sex just wasn’t enough anymore. He grew up, needed some change.

The next moment a bus rolled in next to them, and when Magnus raised his head, his eye caught the most beautiful man he has ever seen. He couldn’t be older than 20, dark hair, broad shoulder, and his face like true art. 

Alec was sitting on the bus on the way home from College, when he saw a movement from the corner of his eye. When he looked out the window, he saw the most gorgeous man he had ever laid eyes on, and he was waving at him. _Did he really wave at him? Probably not.  
_

He looked around, to see if anyone else waved back, but it seemed no one else noticed the man. When he turned back, the Adonis flashed a smile that should be illegal. He had beautiful kohl rimmed eyes, spiked dark hair and a gorgeous burgundy fitted jacket.  


Alec raised his hand, and waved back slowly, still not sure if he was the one the stranger looked at, but when the other winked at him, it became obvious. Alec let a small lopsided smile crawl on his face, while his cheeks started to turn a deep shade of red. No one had ever looked at him like that. He was 20, living with his parents, deep in the closet, and always wore faded holey clothes. There was nothing noticeable in him.  


He was always the invisible sibling. Jace was the reckless one who always got in trouble, Izzy was the most confident girl in school who could always get what or who she wanted, and Max was the smart one. Alec was the oldest who always stayed out of trouble, trying to please their parents, kept quiet and said yes to everything anyone asked him to do. He knew he was overcompensating for his gayness, and it wasn’t the best thing to do, but he wasn’t ready to come out to his very traditional parents, or not even to his siblings.  


He couldn’t take his eyes off the beautiful man, but he also didn’t know what to do now. The other’s smile grew, his whole face lit up and his mouth started to move in a really sensual way, like he tried to say something Alec had no chance to hear. His voice must be really soft, if his lips moved like this. Alec had to turn away for a moment to collect himself, before he’ll have a hard on in public. When he turned back, the stranger was still staring at him. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just staring at each other and smiling, then the stranger held up one finger and started to shuffle around in his bag. 

Alec had no idea what he wanted, but when he pulled out a paper and pen, he started to understand where this may go. Unfortunately, the universe had other ideas, as at this moment the bus started to move, and Alec only had a last glimpse of the sad gorgeous face before the bus turned right and disappeared around the corner. 

Magnus almost jumped out of the taxi and ran after the bus, but then sank back in his seat when it disappeared behind the corner, feeling completely destroyed. In the last five minutes Magnus felt such a strong connection like never before. That stranger had the most beautiful blush in the world, and the most honest eyes. If that stupid bus would’ve stayed just a minute longer so he could write down and show that man his phone number.  
Magnus felt devastated, what is the chance he’ll meet the stranger again in a large city like New York?  
_Pretty low right?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus calls reinforcements, and make a plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for [@s_a_b_i_n_e](https://archiveofourown.org/users/s_a_b_i_n_e/pseuds/s_a_b_i_n_e) who decided to be my beta for this fic ❤️

As soon as Magnus got home, he called his best friends, because he had to tell someone about what happened, and his mom was doing a night shift. While waiting for them to arrive, he paced in the living room with a drink in his hand, replaying every moment of the encounter with the stranger. Magnus could still see that angelic face, with that beautiful smile. When he heard the knock on his door he ran as quickly as he could. Behind the door was Ragnor, his oldest friend, Cat, his kindest friend and Raphael, his weirdest friend. 

“What was so urgent, we had to run here immediately?” grumbled Ragnor, walking in and straight to Magnus’ drinks cabinet. “Let me guess, you are in love.”

“Oh Ragnor, stop that! He doesn’t only call us when he is in love. Maybe he just called us to have a spontaneous party,” smiled Cat. She tried to defend him, but the look on her face said she knew there was no chance for her being right. 

“Come on Cat! Look at his face. That guilt tells us everything.” Raphael raised an eyebrow and held back a grin. “He only called us to talk about himself again.”

Magnus loved his friends, but seriously why did he call them? They laughed at him every time he fell in love. Not that it happened many times. The last one was Camille, but that ended six month ago when she cheated on him. 

“Well... I called you because we haven’t talked in ages.” Magnus tried to sound nonchalant but had to turn around to hide his face. “What can I get you guys? Wine? Please tell me how you all are doing?” He knew they would see through him really quick, especially because Magnus felt like blowing up soon from the words that wanted to come out, but at least he could keep up a few minutes of small talk. He heard his friends talking, but his brain was unable to concentrate on anything that wasn’t the bus boy.

“Well, I had a horrible week at work, my colleague pissed me off so bad, I had to kill him, then I called Cat to help me hide the body, but the police found me and arrested me. Now I am out with bail, but I probably have to go back because now I am thinking of robbing a bank.” Ragnor looked at Magnus unimpressed, while Cat and Raphael tried to hold back their laugh.

“That sounds great Ragnor, I am proud of you,” answered Magnus automatically, and that’s when the other two laughed out so loud, they brought out Magnus from his trance. “What? What is so funny?”

“You didn’t even try to listen to me,” said Ragnor, and sighed. “Okay, out with it! Tell us what happened, so we can move on to your crazy idea sooner and we can move on and get drunk.”

“Okay my dear cabbage, if you insist. I was on the way home when I saw the most gorgeous man in my life. He looked at me, and I immediately felt a strong connection, and from the way he smiled at me, he must’ve felt it too.”

“Did you ask for his number?” Raphael looked at him expectantly, he was always the calm, logical of their group.

“Well, we haven’t really talked. He was sitting on a bus, next to my taxi.” Magnus looked at the drink in his hand, knowing his friends would think he was crazy.

“Let me get this straight. You looked at each other while your taxi drove by his bus for a minute, and now you talk about him like he is your soulmate?” Ragnor’s words were like a cold shower.

“The traffic was bad, so it was at least 10 minutes, and I didn’t say he was my soulmate, just that he is someone special.” Magnus finished the sentence barely whispering. “I feel like I have to find him.”

Cat looked at him sympathetically and put her hand on his shoulder. “We will find him, don’t worry. In this modern world, it is easier to find somebody. You could try to post something on twitter maybe?” She was always the most supportive amongst them. 

“And this is why you are my favourite Kitty Cat!” Magnus jumped up, and kissed her forehead, the run to the kitchen counter where he left his phone earlier. 

“What are we then?” Raphael and Ragnor asked at the same time, trying to sound outraged, but their faces betrayed them. 

“You are my second favourites,” smiled Magnus and threw a kiss their way. When he picked up his phone and opened twitter, he just stared at it for a few minutes, then put it in his pocket. He needed another drink and some inspiration to come up with something that could fit in the 280 character limit.

‘Looking for the hazel eyed beauty...’  
_No, delete._  
‘Have you seen a gorgeous…’  
_God no._  
‘Searching for my soulmate…’  
_No, this is just getting worse. We definitely need a lot more drinks._

The rest of the night they spent drinking, laughing, mocking each other, bringing up old embarrassing stories. When they were buzzed enough, Magnus picked up his phone, and with the help of his friends, he typed and posted a tweet. Now he just needed to wait and hope the people would help him find his man. Magnus went to bed dreaming about hazel eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family dinner at the Lightwoods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the lovely comments! It means so much! 🥰 Never thought so many people will like my first try to write! Constructive criticism is very welcomed!

On the whole journey home Alec was unable to think of anything else but the beautiful man who smiled at him. _Why him?_

Alec never felt this kind of attraction towards anyone. But what if the bus hadn’t move on? What if the guy would’ve given him his phone number? 

He wasn’t ready to come out, maybe he would never be. Of course he imagined how it could be to have a real free relationship, but in Alec’s life that was impossible. His parents would kick him out, and disown him. _No, he couldn’t think about coming out._

When he got home, he went to his room and laid down to have a nap, and if he dreamed about beautiful golden-brown eyes, no one had to know. 

Family dinner was a must in the Lightwood home, this was how their parents wanted to make sure they looked like a good family. Maryse and Robert Lightwood were politicians, who didn’t spend any time with their kids other than these family dinners, and even then, they didn’t really talk about their lives. The only thing they were willing to talk about was the noble future of their kids. Alec and Jace had to become lawyers, then Alec had to seek a political career, Izzy had to become a doctor. Max was the youngest, and the only one who hadn’t received his future plan from his parents, but only a couple of years, and he would be old enough, too. 

Alec was always a good boy, trying to please his parents with everything, so his siblings could have a bit more freedom. Neither Jace nor Izzy wished to follow The Plan, so it was Alec’s duty to make sure their parents were happy enough with him so when his siblings would break the news, they wouldn't get in too much trouble. 

When Alec sat down at the table, he knew something was up. His parents looked at him expectantly, and Izzy’s desperate face told him he was in trouble. 

They hadn’t finished the main course yet when his mother turned his way and started “So Alec, I know we said no dating while you’re in school, but you know we only meant for high school. We don’t mind if you start dating now. You are 20, it is normal to have some experience in college so when you graduate you can get married.” She smiled, but Alec knew this wouldn’t be all. 

“Thanks mom, but I am fine on my own. I’d like to concentrate on the school, I have two majors, I don’t want to mess it up.” Alec couldn’t look up, afraid of revealing his secret. 

“Let me get this straight son,” Robert started with his no-joke voice, how ironic. “You need to get a girlfriend from a reputable family soon, so by the time you graduate you can propose and get married a year later.” 

The silence in the room was heavy. Izzy opened her mouth a couple of times but couldn’t think of anything that could help his brother now. 

“You could make an advert online: Socially awkward guy looking for a noble girl from an aristocratic family,” Jace said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood, but unfortunately only made it worse. 

“Jace! Don’t be ridiculous! Alec doesn’t need to use the internet to find an acceptable girl. We have acquaintances who have daughters, we will organise some meetings for you.” Robert sent a murderous look at Jace, what made him retreat immediately. 

“Well that sounds like a romantic story Alec could tell his children. Finding love online could be romantic. I just saw a tweet today where a guy was looking for someone he just met but couldn’t change numbers with. The tweet went viral, thousands retweeted already. I’m sure if he finds the mystery guy, they could tell a romantic bedtime story for their kids.” Izzy trying to reason with their parents was a nice gesture, but she didn’t think through what she just said. 

Alec looked at her with wide eyes and saw the exact moment she realised her mistake. Alec hadn’t told her he was gay per se, but he knew she knew, and she knew he knew she knew and luckily, no one else knew he was gay, or that she knew, so they had a silent agreement never to talk about it. 

“Isabelle, that is ridiculous. Those two men shouldn’t find each other and have kids. That is unnatural, and you know it. Your mother and I don’t have a romantic story either, we had our parents arrange our relationship too, and we have a very satisfactory marriage.” Robert looked furious. “Alec should be grateful we save him from dating inadequate girls.” 

“Yeah, I’m sure he will be delighted to have a satisfactory marriage.” Izzy stood up and went up to her room. The rest of the dinner went by in silence, no one dared to say another word. 

When Alec went to bed, he had way too many things going on inside his head. He really hoped he would be good enough in school and in his job, so his parents wouldn’t care about his love life. Now he had to meet with some unfortunate girl who would be forced into an unhappy relationship. 

Alec already made peace with the thought to live on his own, even the thought of having a fake girlfriend made his skin crawl. Things would be so much easier if he could just be straight. How many times did he cry in his room wishing to be normal? And how many times did he try to get a hard on watching straight porn, and when he couldn’t take his eyes off the guy, he even tried lesbian porn, but had no reaction. 

_Could he do it? Could he actually have a relationship built on lies?_

He grabbed his phone and checked his social media, when his eyes caught the tweet Izzy told him about. There were 102k likes, and 16k retweets. Alec had to read it over and over again to make sure he understood it right. 

_No this couldn’t be. This was not happening._


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus POV. The tweet is going viral, and some mother son time, and we meet Clary.

When Magnus woke up the next morning with a horrible headache, he knew he had a bit too much to drink. Why did he decide to start drinking before dinner anyway? He was no amateur, he should’ve known to eat before drinking. He walked to the kitchen to have a coffee, when he saw his phone on the counter flashing every few seconds. _This was weird._

As he picked it up and realised all the notifications were from Twitter, the events of last night came crashing down on him. He drunk tweeted to find his stranger from the bus. _Oh god._

There were hundreds of thousands of notifications. Most of them were nice, supporting, shipping, but there were a few mean and homophobic ones too.

_‘Aww this is super cute, RTd, hope you’ll find him!’_

_‘It is amazing you go this far to try to find him! Please update us when you’ll find him! xx’_

_‘We get it, you are gay, but please don’t advertise here...’_

He quickly made a coffee, then sat down to go through all the comments, hoping his mysterious guy commented too, but he soon realised he didn’t. _It’s only been a few hours. He is probably asleep, and it takes time for the post to reach everyone anyway._

Magnus put his phone away, then started to get ready to work. His mom should be back soon, so he made breakfast for her before taking a shower. When he came out of his room fully dressed, ready to leave, he was greeted by his mom who sat in the living room.

“Hey honey, how are you?” She smiled, but the bags under her eyes showed how tired she was.

“Good morning, mom! I had some drinks with the gang, so I am a bit tired. How was work?” She worked night shifts in a warehouse and on the weekends, she did some house cleaning. Magnus told her many times that she could stop the cleaning job now that he earned money too, but she insisted that she could do it, and Magnus should just save money for his own life.

“Same boring as always. We had one of the labelling machines stop for a few hours, so we just cleaned around the lines for a while. It was a long night.” She stopped for a second, then looked up at Magnus, pulling one eyebrow up. “Why did you call the gang? This wasn’t planned before, was it?”

“I just thought it would be nice to spend the night together.” Magnus tried to sound normal, but deep down he knew his voice went a bit higher, and that his mom will see through him immediately.

“Out with it! What happened?” Even when she was tired, she always made sure to be there for her son, so Magnus didn’t hesitate to tell her everything, so she could go to bed sooner.

When he finished, he saw his mother smiling fondly. “What? I know I am stupid, and I should not use my phone when drinking, and I should definitely not hope for anything.” Magnus was sure his mom already had enough of his love life.

“I am just happy that you are still romantic and hopeful after the shitty past. And I am pretty sure you will find this mystery boy, then live happily ever after. You deserve it.”

Magnus thought he should really stay away from emotional conversations while being hungover, because now he had to hold back the tears, so he didn’t ruin his makeup. “Thanks, mom. I should get going. Have a nice sleep.” He kissed his mother’s cheek, then stood up, and walked out the door.

All day at work, he was unable to concentrate, even though he already muted the notifications for his twitter. Clary looked at him mischievously but hadn’t asked anything. She was a smart girl, she knew Magnus wouldn’t be able to hold back anything for too long anyway. Not to mention that she also followed him on twitter, so she already knew what was going on.

“So biscuit, tell me how are things going with that boyfriend of yours?” Magnus met Clary when his manager asked him to mentor the new intern 6 months ago, and they hit off immediately.

“We are doing great thanks, he is planning to introduce me to his parents. I am super nervous, because they have high expectations, I am not sure I can reach them.” She sounded so vulnerable, Magnus hadn’t seen this side of her yet.

“Don’t worry dear, they will love you! How could they not?” Magnus smiled at her, and he could see her relaxing a bit.

They worked through the day chatting about nothing and everything, and Magnus managed to hold back enough that he hadn't checked his phone until he was already out of the building. He quickly scrolled through the notifications, but nothing from the bus boy yet. Most of the people were so nice, supporting, it warmed Magnus’ heart. He waved down a taxi, and he looked at every bus he saw with hope to catch a glimpse of the dark messy hair.

When he got home, his mom was still asleep, so he went to his room, and answered to some of the nice comments, and all of the mean ones, sending them to hell. An hour later, there was a knock on the door, and his mother popped her head in, “Do you want to have dinner?”

“Sure mom, I will make something quick.”

They ate in silence for a while, but his mom was unable to not notice her son’s disappointed face. “Honey, it’s only been a day. Be a little bit more patient, you know not everyone is hanging on their phone all day!” She laughed, because just as she said that, Magnus looked at his phone under the table, trying to be discreet, unsuccessfully.

“Sorry. Yeah I will go to bed early, and not look at my phone until the morning.” He said, and he intended to do exactly that, but after finishing with the dishes, lying in bed, he couldn’t just fall asleep, so of course he spent way too many hours replying to comments and DMs.

When he finally managed to fall asleep, he dreamed about hazel eyes and messy hair again.  
 _This must be the most ridiculous thing he has ever done._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some brother sister bonding time.

Alec looked at this tweet at least a hundred times since last night. He couldn’t believe that gorgeous man was actually looking for him. Maybe it wasn’t him. There must’ve been at least a hundred people sitting in a taxi yesterday, looking at people on busses. True, they probably aren’t all dark-haired hazel eyed with a cut in the eyebrow, but there must be more than one. New York is a really big city after all. He looked at the profile, and all his doubt faded away when he saw the mystery guy’s picture. He was just as beautiful as he remembered.

There were hundreds of comments from people who actually rooted for two guys to find each other. Alec knew the world had changed, and not everybody thought like his parents, but to see how many of them supported was overwhelming. As he scrolled down, there were some negative comments, but immediately at least a dozen people sent them to hell, including the taxi guy. Magnus. His name was Magnus. Or maybe that was just a fake name? It didn’t sound real.

He thought about this all day at college, and on the way home, sitting on the bus, and if he looked at every passing by taxi, no one should know.

When he got home, he went to his room, but it didn’t take Izzy more than 5 minutes to knock on his door.

“Hey big brother, can I come in?” Like she would actually care what he said. She walked in immediately, sat on his bed, and looked at him expectantly. “Soo… How was your day?” Izzy was never good at being subtle.

“Hey Iz, it was boring as always. How was yours?” If Izzy wanted to run a few circles before the attack, then who was Alec to stop her? “How did your exam go?”

“It went great, I am pretty sure I will be able to apply for college early.” She played with Alec’s pillow for a moment and then she asked, “Soo… Have you seen that tweet I told you about last night?”

“Yes, I have. It would’ve been hard to miss, when everyone retweeted it, including you.” Alec tried to sound like he didn’t know where this was going, but his sister would never believe him.

“I couldn’t miss the coincidence that you came home by bus yesterday, and weirdly enough you happen to have dark hair, hazel eye, and a cut in your eyebrow where Jace accidentally hit you.” Izzy knew how to say things without actually saying them. “Is there a chance that you may have seen a taxi as well?”

“Well we do live in New York, so of course I have seen many taxis on the way home. I do every single day.” Alec knew where this was going, but he wouldn’t make it easy for her.

“And have you seen a gorgeous person perhaps?” She wouldn’t say man, even though it was painfully obvious what was going on.

“Like I said, I see a lot of people every single day Izzy, there are quite a few gorgeous ones too.” He could see his sister’s frustration, it was kind of funny to beat around the bush like this.

“Okay, you win! I give up,” she threw his pillow at him with a growl, “It was you wasn’t it? You are the bus boy.” She took a deep breath, they both knew, sooner or later they had to have the talk. 

“I think so.” Alec looked at the floor, unable to face his sister. “I’ve seen him waving at me.”

“And? I know you know I know, Alec! Maybe we could talk about it? I think it is time.” She stood up and walked to the desk where Alec sat slumped. “It’s okay. I love you.” She put a hand on his shoulder, and Alec finally looked up at her. His eyes were tearing up, so she pulled him in for a big hug. “Hey, everything’s fine. You’ll be okay.”

“How could it be okay? You heard dad, I will have a girlfriend, then a wife. It doesn’t matter that when I saw that guy I felt my heart jumping out my chest, or that when he smiled at me, I felt like melting on the spot, or that I see his beautiful eyes every time I close my own.” Alec couldn’t hold back anymore, but he knew he didn't have to. His sister held him safely. “I wish I could have what I want, but that’s impossible, and you know it. If mom and dad would find out I’m gay, they would kick me out immediately.” Izzy’s breath hitched, and that’s when Alec realised. This was the first time he said that out loud.

“You don’t have to obey all the time you know. You don’t have to tell them necessarily, but you could say no for the girlfriend. And when you saved up enough money, you could move out and be free.” She had always been the idealistic one in the family.

“You know this isn’t that easy Izzy. They wouldn’t just leave me be like that. And also… I have no idea what to do with this guy. I never tried to talk with anyone like that.” Alec felt his face heating up, this was the hardest conversation they ever had. Izzy kept drawing shooting circles with her hand on Alec’s back.

“Hey, don’t worry about mom and dad yet. One step at a time. First, you have to send a message to your hottie.” She released him from her embrace, looked down at him, then wiped away his tears. Izzy smiled at him, then grabbed his phone from the desk, and pushed it in his hand.

“I have no idea what to say, or how. And also, Jace is following me on twitter, what if he finds out?” Alec already started to talk himself out of this.

“Stop overthinking! You can simply make another account, then message from there,” she stated simply, then pressed a kiss on his cheek, then walked towards the door. “I love you Alec. Thanks for telling me.”

“I love you too.” Then she walked out, leaving Alec alone with his thoughts.

After about 5 more minutes of debating, he decided to create a fake account, then went on Magnus’ profile, and opened a direct message.

_‘Hi….’_

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

When Magnus woke up, he stayed in bed for a bit, just staring at the ceiling. Sure, his mom was right, it had only been a day, but still, he hoped to have an answer by now. He turned on his phone, opened twitter, and there it was. A direct message from BusBoy20. 

‘Hi! I read your tweet, and I guess I am here to say hi.’ 

Magnus jumped up immediately, started to run towards the door, but then stopped. _How could I know it is actually him? Maybe this is simply some creep who just saw my post and picture and is now just posing as him…_

He sat back down, then typed in an answer. 

‘Hi Bus Boy! I am so glad you saw my post, if it is really you! Would you mind sending a picture maybe? There are a lot of freaks out there who answer for all of these tweets.’ 

_Was this too much?_ Hopefully this was the mystery guy, and he wouldn’t get scared. Magnus sat there what felt like ages, but then the three dots showed up, indicating that the other one was typing. 

-

Alec couldn’t sleep all night, way too nervous, thinking way too much. When he heard the notification of twitter, he immediately grabbed his phone, and read the message. _He wants a picture? I guess it was a fair request, but which picture would be good enough?_ He scrolled through his phone, found one that seemed acceptable at least and hit send.

‘This is me. I hope I look as you remember, and you aren’t too disappointed.’

Three messages came in immediately.

‘OMG!!! IT IS REALLY YOU!!!! I AM SO GLAD I FOUND YOU! YOU LOOK JUST AS GORGEOUS AS I REMEMBERED!!!😵😵😵🥰🥰🥰’

‘I am Magnus, sorry for the all caps, but I am super excited.🤩’

‘I was devastated that I couldn’t show you my number before your bus left.😢😢🥺🥺’

Alec was a bit shocked. This was not exactly what he expected. He was pretty sure as soon as this beautiful man would see his picture, he would realise he doesn’t look like he remembered, and he would ghost him immediately. What should he write now? That he was disappointed too? That he wanted to stop the bus and get off? That’s just silly. He must’ve thought for too long, because Magnus sent a new message. 

‘I really hope I didn’t scare you away. I tend to be a bit too much. If you are interested, I would love to talk with you some more, or maybe we could go for a coffee or something.’

Alec started to panic right away. Coffee?? Sure, it made sense, but that would mean people, and he was so not ready for that. He should definitely rip the bandage, and just tell him that they can’t have that. If he understands it’s good, if not, then they can end it before Alec has any chance to get attached. 

‘You didn’t scare me away, and I would love to get to know you too, but you should know that I am not out yet, so if you don’t mind, I would say no for the coffee for now?’ 

When he sent the message, and waited for the answer, he could feel his heartbeat. It took 1 minute and 45 seconds for the three dots to appear, not that he counted or anything.

‘Okay, that’s fine, I can live with that, I am happy just talking with you here. May I know your name perhaps? I am 21, live in Brooklyn with my mom, working for a fashion magazine, and in my free time I write a fantasy novel.’

‘Ohh and I am bisexual’

Alec let out the breath he didn’t know he held, then facepalmed himself. He even forgot to introduce himself. How can he be so stupid?

‘I am so sorry, my name is Alec! I am 20, live with my parents and with my three siblings in Manhattan. I am still in college, my majors are law and politics. I know how this sounds, but my parents wanted this for me. I would rather be a vet or something, where I could work with animals. I am really not a people person.’

‘And I’m gay’

Okay, so far, he hasn't freaked out yet. He started to get ready for school, while waiting for an answer. He had already finished putting on clothes when his phone buzzed.

‘Is Alec short for Alexander? 😏😉 I think becoming a vet is amazing! I never went to college, because my mom wouldn’t be able to afford it, but I don’t mind. To be fair, I was never good at sitting in one place and listening anyway. I am more the doing and learning kind of person. Are your parents that strict, they don’t let you do what you want?’

Alec took a deep breath, then told Magnus all about The Plan, and how his parents had figured everything out for all of them. Magnus was so easy to talk to, so he ended up missing most of the lectures, because he was messaging Magnus during every single class. They talked all day, and it felt amazing. Magnus was a truly remarkable person. When he got home, his sister sent him a knowing look when Alec kept checking his phone during dinner. Luckily his parents haven’t noticed anything, they were too busy talking about work again.   
After taking a shower Alec climbed in the bed and put his phone on the charger.

‘I had an amazing time talking to you today Alexander. I wish I shouldn’t say goodbye now, but I really must be more productive tomorrow at work. You have no idea how many looks I got from my intern today. May I hope we could talk tomorrow afternoon as well?🙄🥺’

Alec smiled, he could imagine Magnus paid just as much attention to everything today like he did.

  
‘I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed something this much. You may hope, but yeah I need to pay more attention in school tomorrow, so I won’t answer immediately all day again.’

‘I am so glad! Goodnight Alexander! 🥰😘’

‘Goodnight Magnus!’

As he put the phone down, he thought maybe tomorrow, he would be brave enough to send a kiss too. As he closed his eyes, he dreamed about coffee dates, holding hands on the street, and freedom. He couldn’t know that only a few miles away, Magnus was staring at his ceiling, grinning like a Cheshire cat, also thinking about future dates, kisses and cuddles.   
They fell asleep with the same thought:

_They could have that if Alec came out…_


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family dinner at Lightwoods, and Magnus with his friends

Alec and Magnus spent most of their free time on twitter the next few days. Alec felt free when he talked with Magnus, there was nothing he had to hide, and it felt amazing. Magnus was funny, and flirty, and everything Alec wanted in his future, but they didn’t talk about that. The conversation of meeting in person, dating, maybe a future together hung over Alec like the sword of Damocles. He knew he couldn’t delay it forever. They both felt the connection, it was obvious that this, between them wouldn’t go anywhere. 

Alec told everything to Izzy, and she was so excited and supportive, but she also tried to encourage him to take Magnus out for a real date, but Alec told her he would like to date Magnus without hiding his affection, and he wasn’t ready to come out yet. Luckily, she understood and backed off.

When they sat at the dinner table that night, their father pulled out a piece of paper from his jacket and handed it over to Alec. He looked at it, and there was a time and a place written on it. He raised an eyebrow and asked his father, “What is this?”

“You’ll have a date with Lydia Branwell, the daughter of my best business associate. When I told him about our plan, he was absolutely delighted, as he had a similar plan for her.” He carried on eating, like this was the most natural conversation they could have.

“Dad, I told you, I want to focus on my education. I will have time for dating later. Why the rush?” Alec felt his throat tighten, he really hoped he'd have more time.

“And I told you, there is no more time. If you start dating after school, your engagement will have to be too short, and people will assume the wrong things.” Robert seemed a bit annoyed that he had to explain something that he thought was so obvious.

“Like what, Dad? That it is a loveless arranged marriage? Yeah sure, we don’t want people to think that.” Izzy already raised her voice a bit, she couldn’t hold back.

“No, but they could assume she’s been knocked up, or that one of them have an affair and just want to cover it up, or worse, they could assume one of them is gay. All of these options would be disastrous to our family.” He gave Izzy a pointed look to make her shut up. She had always been daddy’s little girl, but every time she tried to defend Alec, their relationship worsened. 

“Dad, I don’t want to have a date set up for me, I can find someone on my own.” Alec hoped he could gain some more time, maybe he could lie that he has someone.

“That is ridiculous. You’ll meet Lydia, end of conversation.”

Alec felt defeated. Izzy gave him a supporting look, but Jace smiled at him. He always supported the idea of Alec hooking up with any girl, he even tried to set him up several times. Alec was so happy that Max was still in boarding school, at least he didn’t have to witness all of this. One date. Maybe they would leave him be if went on one date.

-

Magnus sat on the couch with his friends and his mom, talking about Alexander of course. He couldn’t resist, he had to share with everyone how happy he was. He agreed with Alec, that he could tell his friends about him, as long as he didn’t give out anything they could identify him with, like last name, and didn't show them pictures, which was fair enough. He also told everything to his mom, who was very supportive, she even offered to talk to Alec’s parents if he decides to come out. 

When Magnus received a message from Alec, he immediately opened it, friends and mom forgotten. 

‘Hey. How is your night? Here it’s a bit tense since Dad gave me a place and time for my date with a woman…’

Well this was unexpected. Magnus made peace with the fact Alec was in the closet. But a girlfriend? He wasn’t sure he could be the other one, especially if that girl would have real feelings.

‘I am so sorry Alexander. Maybe you could be a really bad date so she wouldn’t want to see you again?’

‘I wish I could do that, but then my father would be angry at me because of screwing up. I have to be a good date or tell her the truth.’

Magnus talked to Alec for another ten minutes, Alec telling him about his fear of being stuck in a lie, and Magnus reassuring him, when the time was right he would be brave enough to come clean and he would have Magnus and Izzy to support him. When they said their goodbyes, Magnus turned towards the others, who waited patiently. He didn’t deserve them.

“Alec has to go on a date his parents arranged for him. He may need to tell her the truth.” Magnus sounded deflated. Everyone looked at him understandingly, even Ragnor held back any sarcastic comment.

“He will be okay honey, everything will be fine. I know it may be hard, but eventually you two will have your happy ending. I can see how you light up every time you receive a message. You are already happier, I can only imagine how happy you’ll become once you actually meet him.” His mom always knew how to reassure him.

“Alise is right, like always. From what I heard, which is more than I ever wanted to, he is one of the good ones.” Raphael looked at Magnus with softness in his eyes, what made Magnus terrified.

“Who the hell are you, and what have you done to Raphael?” Magnus asked maybe a bit overdramatically. Raphael never showed any emotions and didn’t talk this much ever. 

“Ha-ha, very funny, Magnus. I am human too.”

They had a couple more drinks, ordered pizza, and his friends made theories how Magnus would barge in Alec’s wedding with that woman and elope, or how Alec would run away from his parents just to be with him, or how one of them could get pregnant by some miracle so Alec’s parents had to let them be together… 

Yeah, maybe there were more than a couple of drinks involved, although his mom supported all of the above, even though she was completely sober.

Yes, he will have his happy ending with Alexander, no matter what they have to get through.

_ They are meant to be. _


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec have a date..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check additional tag

Magnus went to work smiling every single day, but Clary still hadn’t asked anything. She was patient because it was so good to see him happy, and he would open up when he was ready. 

Magnus wanted to tell Clary about Alexander so much, but didn’t want to tell too many people, so he kept his mouth shut. 

“Hey Magnus, do you want to grab a drink after work? I was thinking you could finally meet Jace. We have been dating for months, I think you would like him.”

“Sure, I would love to. I have no better things to do on a Friday night anyway.”

They went to a bar called Hunters Moon right on the corner, sat in a booth, and ordered a drink while waiting. After about half an hour, Clary’s phone rang and she picked it up immediately. After about two minutes of ‘uhm’ and ‘yeah sure’, she hung up and turned towards Magnus with a frown on her face.

“Jace can’t come, it seems his brother has a dating emergency.” She smiled, but the disappointment seeped through her voice.

“That sounds like a reasonable explanation. Come on Biscuit, lets get another round. It would be a shame to waste a perfect Friday outing.” Magnus tried to cheer her up, and in the end, they went home late and just enough tipsy.

-

“Calm down Alec! If you keep running around like this, you’ll have to take another shower. Why are you so nervous?” Jace sat on Alec’s bed, next to where Alec had thrown his whole wardrobe. 

“I can’t calm down! This whole date is a stupid idea and I was supposed to have another week. Why did Dad bring it forward?” Alec was on the verge of a panic attack and his phone was dead, hanging on the charger, so he couldn’t even message Magnus. His dad came home from work an hour ago and ordered Alec to get ready for his date tonight. 

“I don’t know, but maybe it will be good. I googled her, and she is hot! You may actually enjoy this date.” Jace tried to be supportive, not knowing how unhelpful he was.

“You’re not helping Jace. I want to focus on my studies, I don’t have time for this girl.” Alec tried to sound calm, but he was anything but. He didn’t want Jace to see how uninterested he was.

“Okay, whatever bro. Lets just get you ready then.”

It took another 20 minutes for them to choose a ‘date worthy’ outfit, which seemed impossible, considering how many clothes Alec owned and how many of them were actually not faded or holey. 

When Alec arrived at the restaurant, he considered sending a message to Magnus, but then he would answer, and Alec wouldn’t be able to put his phone down. They had a reservation in a good restaurant, his father probably pulled a few strings in order to get a table with such short notice. 

Alec looked up when someone cleared their throat. There she was, Lydia Branwell. Tall, blonde and her face lit up immediately as she saw her date.

_ This isn’t a good sign. _

Lydia was a nice girl, and if Alec would be at least a little bit interested, this could’ve been a good date. He felt awful, because Lydia seemed genuinely happy. 

“Alec I must admit, I was upset when my father told me he set up a date for me, but I am pleasantly surprised.” She smiled at him and put one hand invitingly in the middle of the table.

“Yeah, well I was hoping to focus on my studies, but my father had different plans.” He purposefully ignored her hand. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t really want a relationship yet. I want to finish college first.” 

She looked a bit confused, but then smiled, “I get that, we should get to know each other first. I don’t want to jump in a serious relationship right away either. Don’t worry, we can talk about this after we had a few more dates. We have more than enough time till graduation, so no pressure.”

Alec raised an eyebrow “Graduation?”

“Well yeah, my father told me we should get engaged around that time.” She said this like it was the most natural conversation to have on a first date.

“Don’t you think we should decide if we want to get engaged at all?” Alec couldn’t believe she wanted to go through with their parents' plan so easily. She seemed so reasonable before.

“Of course we should, but I have a good feeling about this. I haven’t had such an amazing date in ages, not to mention how good it is to look at you.” She extended her hand again, but this time she didn’t wait for Alec to take it, she grabbed his hand.

“We should ask for the check.” Alec didn’t understand how she could enjoy herself so much, he barely talked all night. She talked through the whole dinner, while Alec just sat there and nodded. He pulled his hand away, so he could wave to the waitress. Alec felt really uncomfortable with her forwardness, he just wanted to go home as soon as possible.

When they were outside the restaurant, waiting for her cab to arrive, she turned towards Alec. “I had a really good time, and I hope we will have another date soon.” The next moment she pulled Alec forward by the lapels of his jacket and pressed her lips to his and Alec froze, couldn’t move. He raised his hand to her shoulder to push her away, but she misunderstood this as encouragement, so she took advantage of Alec’s gasp and pushed her tongue in his mouth. 

Finally, after a few seconds Alec managed to push her away, feeling the bile rise in his stomach. She smiled at him, then turned towards the taxi that arrived just in time. She looked back once more, threw a kiss his way, then hopped in the car.

Alec took a deep breath, then wiped his mouth with disgust. He never had a kiss before, but sure as hell this wasn’t how he should feel after his first one. He couldn’t understand how she could be so oblivious, that she hadn’t even realised he didn’t kiss her back.

When he got home, luckily everyone was already asleep, so Alec went to his room immediately and locked the door. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, it was 11:23. He sent a quick message to Magnus, hoping he was still awake, and able to calm the storm inside.

_ ‘Hey Magnus! Are you awake? I just had a date.’ _


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little talk with Magnus, then sibling time

Magnus almost fell asleep when he heard his phone ping.  _ Who could that be this late? _

He looked at his phone and froze.  _ Alexander went on a date?  _ He immediately started typing, without thinking.

‘You went on a date??? And you even rub it in?😵 I thought maybe we have something between us, and I thought maybe one day I will take you on a date. Was this all just a joke for you?🥺😡’

He felt his eyes tearing up. Well this night didn’t go as planned.  _ Why do things happen always when he is tipsy and emotional? _ He waited a minute, but when Alec’s answer arrived, he immediately sobered up.

‘I went on a date with that girl my father arranged. It was horrible, and the girl pushed her tongue down my throat without my permission. She wants other dates too. I am so sorry Magnus, I do feel like we have something, and I only ever wanted to have a date with you, and only kiss you. I never felt like this before, and I feel so horrible after this date.’

_ I am such an idiot.  _

‘Alexander I am so sorry, I am the biggest idiot there is.🤦I really don’t know why I talk before thinking. That bitch! Tell me everything.’

Magnus went to the kitchen to grab some water and thought of ways to find that woman and kill her slowly for taking away the opportunity from Magnus to be Alec’s first kiss.

-

Alec told Magnus everything about the horrible date and he was so supportive and kind, Alec felt like tearing up again. He was so terrified when he received the first message from Magnus, he really should’ve elaborated more in his initial message. They talked until 1am, and when they said their goodbyes, Alec couldn’t close his eyes, so he went across the hall, and knocked on his sister’s door.

When there was no answer, he softly opened the door and walked in. Any other day Alec would leave his sister to sleep, but she barged in his room more times than he could count, so this one time she should suck it up. He sat down on her bed and shook her shoulder.

“Hey, Izzy! Wake up! I need you,” Alec whispered to her, and as soon as she opened her eyes a little, he turned the bedside light on. 

“God, Alec turn that off! What happened? Are you trying to make me blind?” She sat up, her back to the headboard, looking extra grumpy.

“I had my date with Lydia today.”

Her eyes went wide, “Okay, go on, I am awake now.” 

Alec told her everything, finishing with the kiss, and how horrible it was. 

“Was that your first kiss?” When Alec nodded, she almost shouted, “That bitch!”

“Yeah that’s exactly what Magnus said. I was actually hoping we could talk about him. He was super supportive about this whole thing, but I just feel awful. He should’ve been my first date, and he should’ve been my first kiss. And now I have to go to another date with this woman, and I don’t know how I could escape.” Alec felt devastated, he really wanted to just tell his parents to go to hell, but they would definitely kick him out then, and he didn’t have anywhere to go.

“He seems like a really good guy, who deserves more. Maybe you could ask him out on a date and go out of town, that way you wouldn’t have to worry about people seeing you.” Izzy really tried to help since the beginning, but her brother was way too stubborn to get through to. Maybe this date was the push he needed to finally stand up against their parents.

“He is too good, and he doesn’t deserve to be hidden.” Alec moved up a bit, so he could lay next to his sister. They hadn’t done this for way too long.

“I get that, but it shouldn’t be for too long. If you learn well enough, you could finish one of your majors next year, so then you could find a job and find a flat or something, so Mom and Dad wouldn’t need to know where you are.”

“I don’t want to wait that long.” Now Alec started to sound like an eight-year-old, who wanted to get a toy. His pout wasn’t any different.

“You know I am actually trying to help, but you aren’t too co-operative here.” She looked at him a little bit annoyed. “Did you think about telling Jace? Maybe he could help too.”

“First off, are you serious? Jace helping? I would rather ask relationship advice from Max. Second off, no. I don’t want to tell him. What would he think?” Alec thought about telling Jace of course, but he came up with the same thing every time. He would laugh and he would think it was just a phase. Alec loved Jace to the bits, but he wasn’t the most accepting there is.

“You know he is in a stable relationship for a while now, maybe he knows something. But fine, don’t tell him. Then what? If you don’t want to wait, don’t want to come out, and don’t want to go on a secret date, we kinda run out of options here bro.” Izzy looked at him impatiently.

“Yeah, he knows how to annoy a girl enough that she rather goes out with him, than suffer his further tries. I don’t know what I should do. Sorry that I woke you up for this, I let you sleep now.” He stood up then pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Thanks, Iz. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Anytime, you know where you find me. Just do me a favour, and don’t overthink it. And if you could schedule your next breakdown during office hours, that would be great,” she sent him a wink and smiled fondly. “Goodnight.” She switched the light off and turned around. It took about 20 second for her to fall asleep again. Alec was so jealous of this skill.

When Alec was back in his own bed, he just looked at the ceiling for hours, thinking about Izzy’s suggestions. He made a pro con list in his head for every option, but that wasn’t helping either. He always decided everything with logic in his whole life, but just once it would be nice to do what he actually wanted. Izzy’s words echoed in his head.  _ Just don’t overthink it. _

He picked up his phone, typed in a message and hit send before he could change his mind.

_ ‘Would you go out with me tomorrow?’ _


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting ready for date night 🥰

In the morning Magnus looked at his phone and to say he was shocked was an understatement. He probably passed out for a minute or two. Alec was asking him out on a date? For real? He wondered what must’ve happened while he was asleep. Alec didn’t give any indication that he was planning to come out or anything. But did this mean he wanted to come out? Or did this mean he wanted to meet secretly?

‘Good Morning! Of course I want to go out with you, you know that I have wanted this since the beginning. But do you mind me asking what happened? I mean, don’t get me wrong I am jumping out of my skin, but what changed your mind?’

He went to the bathroom to get ready, Alec was probably asleep anyway. When he came back to the room to dress up, he froze.  _ What should I wear? _

Magnus needed to know when they would meet, because if it would be a lunch date, then he had to dress to the nines now, but if they had a dinner date, then he would have time to get ready after work. Maybe he could call in sick so he could get ready properly. But if he had too much time then he would probably go crazy. Work as a distraction might be better. When his phone pinged, he plummeted on the bed.

‘Good morning! Brilliant. How does 7 sound? I just don’t want to wait any longer. The date with Lydia made me realize how much I want all of it with you. Lets just say that yesterday was a business meeting, so today can be my first date.’

Magnus’ eyes widened. Okay, so if the pressure on his clothes choices wasn’t big before, now it was. First date. He had never been the first date for anyone. Not even in his teenage years. Tonight must be perfect. He decided to dress casually, he would leave work early to have time to get ready in the evening.

‘7 sounds perfect darling. Where do you want to meet? What do you want to do?’

‘I’ll pick you up if you give me your address. It’s a surprise.’

Magnus sent him the address, then dressed up and ran to work. The whole day was a blur, he couldn’t concentrate on anything. He got home by 4, and when he walked through the door his mom looked up from her book in surprise.

“What are you doing home this early? Did something happen?” She jumped up from the sofa, immediately looking for injuries on her son.

“No, nothing happened, I just wanted to come home early, because I’ll have a date,” said Magnus sheepishly. 

“A date? Please tell me it is with Alexander, and not another try with someone else. I ship you guys.” This was the moment Magnus thought that maybe he shouldn’t teach his mom every new slang.

“Wow, Mom, thanks for reminding me how horrible I am in that department. Yes, it is with Alexander. You ship us?” Magus chuckled, “Since when are you so invested in my love life?”

“Everyone who has a brain would ship you,” she retorted, “your story is a bestseller worthy. Two strangers fall in love in the spur of a moment, but destiny pulls them apart, but one of them does everything in his power to find the other. When he does, it turns out their love is forbidden by the bigot parents,” she started to get a bit too excited, “then there will be angst when the parents find out and arrange a marriage or they send him away to a camp, but that won’t be enough to rip apart the soulmates, so our protagonist saves the other from his miserable life, then they ride away in the sunset and live happily ever after with their two kids and the amazing mother of the main character.” She beamed at him, with a mischievous smirk.

“Well done Mom, I would read this story, but I also really hope I wouldn’t need to make an escape plan or kidnap the groom from his wedding.” Magnus chuckled, his mom could definitely write a romantic novel. “Your imagination amazes me. Maybe you should pursue a writing career, not me.”

“You know, I actually started to write a novel when I was younger, and just met your father.” Her face darkened at the memory of the man who made her life hell. “It was a long time ago. Maybe I would try to finish that story one day.”

Magnus hugged her, trying to chase the bad memories away. She never talked about it, and never dated anyone ever again. He hoped that one day she would be able to move on.

“I’ll be alright, honey. You go get ready for your date. You must look perfect, so when the movie comes out, I can tell the director every single detail.” She smiled at him, and pushed him towards his room.

“Okay, okay. Yeah my outfit should be Oscar worthy,” he chuckled, then walked in his room, but he popped his head out, “Love you Mom!” then closed the door.

-

“IZZY!!!”

As soon as Alec got home from college, he ran to his room, and screamed for his sister.

“Izzy, I need you right now!” Luckily, his parents were still at work, and Jace was with Clary, so he didn’t need to explain his panic to anyone.

“Hey big brother, what happened? You scared the hell out of me,” she looked confused.

“I need your help. You see, last night after we talked, I asked Magnus out on a date, and he said yes. This is your fault! And I have nothing that I could actually wear that doesn’t have a hole in it or isn’t faded completely. And I have no experience in dating other than that horrible one yesterday. You have to help me!” Alec was on the verge of a panic attack. ”Did I mention that it is your fault?!”

“Okay, first you need to calm down! Take a deep breath. Now go take a cold shower, while I find you something to wear,” and with this, she pushed him towards his bathroom.

When he came out wearing only boxers, he felt much more relaxed. He could do this, people dated all the time, it couldn’t be that hard. Magnus probably had been on dozens of dates before. He was too gorgeous to be single.  _ Okay, I really shouldn’t think about this, it just raises the pressure more. _ He looked at his sister holding a black jeans that looked way too skinny, and a blue button down. He had never seen any of this before.

“Where did you get those from?” 

“I will pretend I haven’t heard you, because these are the Christmas gifts I gave you last year.” She raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

Alec grabbed the clothes and put them on without looking at her or saying another word. He always put her gifts in the back of his closet, because they were too colourful and tight for his taste.

“How do I look?” he asked nervously. 

“You look amazing! And don’t worry, you’ll have a great time. Where will you take him?”

“Oh my God!” His face turned white in a second, “I have absolutely no idea. I told him I would pick him up and told him it’s a surprise to buy some time, but it is 6:32 and I have no plan!” Alec started to hyperventilate again.

“Alec, you really need to calm down! Take him somewhere special, what means a lot to you, where you also feel safe.” She put her hand on his shoulder and looked in his eyes. He took a deep breath when the realisation hit.

They both knew where that place was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you expected the date.. sorry, but the next chapter on Friday will be the date I promise


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First date ❤️

Alec stopped the car in front of the building. He had never felt this nervous in his entire life. What the hell was he doing? This seemed like a great idea last night, but now it was just terrifying. He started shaking a little, but then concentrated on Izzy’s words. No overthinking tonight, just enjoying the night with an amazing man. He walked towards the door, rang the bell and a minute later when the door opened, he stopped breathing all together.

In front of him stood Magnus, even more gorgeous than he remembered, dressed in purple skinny jeans, a deep red silk button up, and a black vest. He wore several necklaces, and makeup that made his eyes pop wonderfully.

They just stared at each other for at least two minutes when someone shouted out the window.

“Come on Magnus, say something!” His mom pulled Magnus out of his reverie and he mumbled a weak ‘Hi’ out, his cheeks blushing beautifully. “Well, I definitely won’t write a book about this encounter.” 

Alec could barely hold back a smile. That must be Magnus’ mom, he talked so much about her. He looked up and saw a woman who looked very much like Magnus. Her eyes were the same and her smile too. “I am so sorry Miss Bane, I promise to do better next time.” He looked back at Magnus’ deep red face and couldn't hold back anymore, he laughed out loud. It felt so good, all the tension leaving his body.

“Thank you darling, I hope you’ll have a wonderful evening. It was good to see you.” She closed the window and Alec led the still embarrassed Magnus to his car. When they were finally alone, Magnus turned towards Alec.

“I am so sorry, she can be normal sometimes, I promise.” He was so adorably blushing, Alec couldn’t hold back a grin.

“I think your mom is rather amazing, Magnus, I can’t wait to meet her officially.” As soon as he said it out loud, all of his confidence disappeared. “I mean if you want to… if we have next time… or… never mind.” He turned his head down and started to fidget with the hem of his shirt.  _ What the hell am I doing?? _

“I would love you to meet her officially, Alexander.” Magnus finally took a deep breath, happy that Alec already thought about the future. He was worried all afternoon if Alec felt the same way or not. In Magnus’ opinion, they were almost in a relationship already.” Although I have a feeling that it would be a really embarrassing meeting for me.”

Alec smiled shyly at Magnus, then started the car and drove off.

“Where are we going, Alexander?”

“You’ll find out.”

  
  


When they arrived at Staten Island, Magnus got excited. He had been here several times, loved the Chinese Garden, the Fort Wadsworth, and the Snug Harbour Cultural Centre, although Alec drove past all of the usual attractions. Soon, he stopped the car outside an old lighthouse.

“Come on, let’s go up. Have you been here before?” Alec looked a bit insecure, he wasn’t sure this was a good idea. Maybe he should’ve taken Magnus to one of the usual Staten Island attractions.

“I have never seen this place before. I bet the view is wonderful up there.” Magnus said enthusiastically, then grabbed Alec’s hand and dragged him towards the building.

They watched the sunset from the top of the lighthouse in comfortable silence. Alec was happy they already talked a lot before, so the first date wasn’t filled with awkward quietness. He really wanted to hold Magnus’ hand, or kiss him when the last of the sun’s rays landed on his face and gave Magnus an otherworldly glow. Alec couldn’t imagine why a man like Magnus would be interested in him. 

“Come on, we have to go.” Alec said and pulled Magus by his hand.

“Go where? Another surprise?” Magnus felt like he was in heaven, holding Alexander’s hand, the sunset… This night was perfect. He knew he fell too quick and hard, but at this moment, he couldn’t care less. 

“Yes, it is a surprise. But I hope you’ll like it.” Alec felt much more confident now, Magnus seemed to enjoy the date so far. 

  
  


They arrived at the restaurant, and Magnus looked up in awe.

“I love Italian!”

“That’s great, but we won’t have Italian I’m afraid.” Alec smirked mischievously.

“We won’t? This is an Italian Restaurant.” Magnus was confused, Alec continued to surprise him. It was perfect.

“This is an Italian Restaurant, but also the home of ‘Nonnas of the World’. They have special menus by Grandmothers all over the world, they make their own cuisine, using recipes passed down for generations. I believe today is Hungarian.” Alec felt so proud that he managed to take Magnus’ breath away. He led them into the restaurant, then they walked to their table in the back. Alec had been relieved when they were able to take his reservation with such a short notice. Most people probably didn’t appreciate Hungarian food.

“This place is amazing. How did you find it?” Magnus looked around, looking like a child in a toy store.

“My grandmother brought me here when I was around ten. This restaurant just opened and she was one of the Nonnas who cooked. Unfortunately, she died a year later, so she couldn’t see how successful this place became.” He smiled at the fond memory, she was the only grandparent he had who wasn’t bigoted as the rest of the family. She was like the black sheep of the Lightwoods and Alec loved her for it.

“I am so sorry. I’m sure she sees it from above.” 

“There is no way,” Alec laughed out loud, “she has a VIP suite in hell. She was my favourite person in the world, but she was no saint. She got in trouble more times than I could count and she also got me into trouble more times than I could count. She was the reason the police took me home when I was seven.” He smiled at the fond memory and the shock on Magnus’ face.

“Well she sounds lovely, and you definitely need to tell me that story.” He tried to school his features. “What will you order? I can’t decide between the Pörkölt, what sounds like an interesting stew and the Lecsó. I love ratatouille and from the description I guess it is something similar.”

“I will have the Lecsó, so if you order the Pörkölt we could share.”

They spend the evening sharing outrageous stories and laughing. Magnus told him about how he got banned from Peru when he celebrated his eighteenth birthday there and Alec told him about the summer when his grandmother kidnapped him for a spontaneous trip to the Grand Canyon and his dad called the police on his own mother. 

Alec felt butterflies in his stomach every time Magnus looked at him and he knew already, he was falling fast and hard. They were far away from home, and his parents didn’t know about this place, neither did their snobby colleagues, but he couldn’t help himself to look around nervously sometimes. He wanted to hold Magnus’ hand so much, but knew that would be too early. He wasn’t ready yet.

The night had finished way too early for his liking, so when they stood outside Magnus’ house, he tried to keep the conversation going, just a little bit more. When there was nothing more he could come up with, Magnus started to fidget with his key. Alec wanted to jump around at the thought that Magnus didn’t want this night to end either.

“I had a lovely evening Alexander. I really hope we can do this again sometime.” Magnus looked at him, hesitating. They hadn’t talked about the elephant in the room, they went on a date, but did this mean Alec didn’t want to hide anymore? Did he want to come out? Could he hold his hand in public? Could he kiss him?

“Yeah, I had an amazing time too. And I would love to go out again as well.” Alec looked into his eyes but couldn’t make a move. He wanted to kiss Magnus so badly, but they were out in the open. He never kissed anyone before, the one with Lydia didn’t count. They stood there in silence for at least five minutes when they heard the window open from above.

“Oh, for God’s sake, kiss him already!” Magnus looked up with wide eyes, and a blush on his face. He sent a murderous look her way, but she only winked at him. It was not clear who was the bad influence to whom, but they should probably see a specialist about their dysfunctional relationship.

“Mom, aren’t you supposed to be at work already?” He wished someone would just shoot him right now.

“I have a late start today, so I’ll have time to listen to my son gushing about his date.” She smiled so wide, Alec had to laugh.

“Good evening, Miss Bane. If you could give us a minute, Magnus will go up and tell you everything.” Alec waved at her, she smiled back then closed the window. He was pretty sure though that she would take a peek from behind the curtain.

Magnus looked into Alec’s eye and saw the same want he felt. They stepped closer and Magnus raised his hand to pull Alec by the waist. Alec took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then he felt Magnus’ lips touching his. It was soft at first, then got a bit more heated and when he felt Magnus’ tongue on his lips, he gave permission happily. 

_ This was his real first kiss, and it was perfect. _

  
  
  
  



	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After date talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The book Magnus writes is actually Raymond E. Feist: the Magician if anyone is interested. I love it, read it couple hundred times with the rest of the series, so I can only recommend it ❤️

When Alec arrived home, his father sat in the living room.

“Where have you been?” His face was unreadable, but Alec knew he was in trouble. 

“I was out with a couple of guys from school,” he said and walked toward the stairs. 

“What guys? Why didn’t you say anything about this before? I don’t remember you having any friends you hang out with.” Alec felt the tension growing between them. Could his father suspect something? No that was not possible, he had been careful.

“If I say Andrew, Jack, and Dave would you know who they are? We have some classes together and they called me to have a drink with them.” It was a lucky coincidence that they did actually call him this week to hang out together, so it wasn’t that big of a lie, although he declined it. Dave and Jack were great guys, but Andrew was openly gay, so Alec tried to avoid him at all costs.

“Why now? You never went out like this before. You should concentrate on Lydia now. You don’t want her to think you are one of those guys who leave their wife at home while going out partying with their friends,” he said reproachfully. “I spoke to her father, and he said Lydia enjoyed herself very much. Did you call her to arrange the next date yet? I know it is fashionable to wait, but I suggest you call her as soon as possible. We don’t want to lose such a good catch.”

Alec felt his stomach churning at the thought of another date. He couldn’t do that. He knew the way he felt for Magnus was the real thing. He couldn’t go out with that horrible woman again.

“Dad, I don’t think Lydia is good for me. I really want to concentrate on my education right now.” 

“That is out of the question. You will take her out again, and again, and again. There are already some rumours about you out there, we can’t let them grow any longer. She is good for you and your future. She would be perfect for your political career,” he said without room for further disagreement. 

“What rumours?” Alec couldn’t believe his father. He was trying to marry him off to a stranger so badly.

“That you are one of those freaks who have no interest in sex or relationships. There are also a few who say you must be gay, but luckily not many listen to that. Your next date must be more public. I know! You will bring her to our Fundraiser Gala in two weeks.” His face lit up at his own idea, grabbed his phone to make a note about the seating arrangements, then walked out of the room without another word.

Alec felt devastated. He had had the best night of his life and then it was destroyed in five minutes. He hated himself for not being brave enough to tell his father what he wanted, that he didn’t want a political career, or date Lydia. He went upstairs, walked in his sister’s room without a single knock and collapsed on her bed with a loud sigh.

“You know, I get it. I did this with you a couple of times in the past, but I would really appreciate it if you could let me sleep,” she grunted, but the next second she jumped up and shook Alec’s shoulder enthusiastically. “You had a date!” She squealed.

“Quiet! I don’t want Dad to hear you. Yes, I had a date. You were with me when I left.” He raised an eyebrow at her. She was probably still half asleep.

“Tell me everything!”

She listened to him telling her everything, including what his father said when he arrived home.

“What are you going to do now?” she asked with concern in her eyes.

“I have no idea. I would love to just shout at him, but then, where would I go? He would definitely kick me out of the house. If I would have Grams, or at least some friend I could go to, I would tell our parents to fuck off. I will make a plan, but first I’ll go to bed and read Magnus’ book. He sent it over in an email and asked my opinion on it.” He couldn’t wait to read it, the things Magnus told him about it sounded really good.

“He wrote a book? What is it about? I thought you said he works in fashion.” 

“He is working in fashion, the book is just a hobby. It is a fantasy book, about a world with elves, magicians, and it is about two young boys growing up in the middle of a war with an alternate universe.”

“That sounds interesting. Have fun. And I will be trying to help you figure out where to go, what to do,” she smiled then turned around and pulled the duvet above her head. 

“Goodnight, Izzy.”

Alec went to his room and buried his face in the pillow. He thought about his date with Magnus and their kiss. It was so perfect, and he couldn’t wait to do it again. He grabbed his tablet and pulled up the document Magnus had sent to him.

-

When Magnus walked up, his mom was right next to the door, standing there with a knowing smirk. 

“So, how was it?”

“You know damn well how it was, Mom. Did you seriously have to embarrass me like that? And don’t even try to deny it. You looked out the window when we kissed.” Magnus’ face was red just thinking about his mom watching them. They seriously needed some boundaries.

“I am your mother. It is my job to embarrass you in front of your boy- or girlfriends. If they have a good sense of humour and laugh at your baby pictures fondly, that’s when you’ll know they are a keeper.” She laughed at Magnus’ terrified expression. “May I also add that Alexander took my embarrassing comments wonderfully.”

Magnus knew she was right. Neither of his previous girlfriends or boyfriends understood his mom’s remarks. It seemed Alec was special in that department too. 

“Yeah, I know. Thanks, Mom.”

They sat on the couch and talked about Alec for a while, then Alise had to go to work. Magnus laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about Alexander. How wonderful he was, how smart he was, and how gorgeous he was. He fell asleep thinking about his favourite place he wanted to take Alec for their next date.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another date, and Magnus meets Jace

The next few days Magnus and Alec talked nearly non-stop about the book. Alec read the whole thing in one night, then asked about a thousand questions and suggested a couple of things. Alec thought that Pug never should’ve run after Carline in the first place, it was obvious they were a wrong match. Magnus explained that he had an ex, Camille, who every outsider saw as a wrong match, but he couldn’t, just like Pug. Luckily, he didn’t need to get kidnapped just to get away from her. Also, Alec couldn’t see Pug as bisexual with a crush on Thomas. It just felt wrong. Like if he would have a crush on Jace.

They agreed to go on another date on Monday, this time it was Magnus’ turn. They met close to Alec’s college, then took a cab to Magnus’ favourite place, the Aquarium on Coney Island. It was far enough and dark enough for Alec to relax. As they walked through the tunnel, Alec took a deep breath and reached out for Magnus’ hand. They walked in a comfortable silence for a bit, Magnus smiling like a lottery winner. When Magnus saw a quiet corner, he pulled Alec in for a quick kiss. 

Alec smiled down on Magnus, then went in for another kiss, this time deepening it eagerly. After they pulled apart, Alec held onto Magnus for a little while longer, afraid to lose this moment. 

“Magnus, I am so glad you found me. I know the situation can be better, but I promise, I’ll come out soon, so we could be together outside of the dark corners.” Alec felt the guilt washing over him.

“No need to rush darling. I am happy the way we are. You should come out when you are truly ready. I don’t want you to do it because of me.” Magnus squeezed his hand in support.

“Thank you, you are wonderful, but I have to do something. If I don’t, I will end up married with two kids before I know it,” he chuckled awkwardly. 

They spent all afternoon and evening together and when Alec walked Magnus to his door, their kiss came naturally.

-

Magnus ran late. He promised Clary he would meet her and her boyfriend at 7, but he took a nap and didn't wake up in time. Stupid clock. When he arrived, Clary waved at him immediately, next to her a not too bad looking blonde.

“Hey, Biscuit, I am so sorry I am late, my fluffy clock didn’t purr.” He gave Clary a quick kiss on her cheek, then held out his hand to the guy.

“Purred?” The blonde raised an eyebrow, but shook his hand nonetheless.

“Yes, it’s fluffy, it purrs.” Magnus looked at the other man like he was crazy to even question him, like the purring clock was the most natural thing to have.

“Okay, I probably don’t want to know anyway. I am Jace. Heard a lot about you.” He smiled, but Magnus knew he was assessing if Magnus was a competition or not.

“Same here, Blondie. I hope you are good for my Biscuit here, or else…” He smiled, then sat down, waving to the bartender to bring his usual.

“So, how are you, Magnus? You took a nap?” Clary looked at him knowingly. “Have you stayed up all night talking with your mystery guy again by any chance?”

After their first date, Magnus couldn’t restrain anymore and told Clary about Alexander.

“Yes, I have, and it was worth every single dark circle under my eyes. Alexander is wonderful, and funny, and smart, and everything I am looking for in a guy. And when he kisses me, it is perfect. He also read my book and even though he liked it, he gave me honest, constructive criticism. I will probably credit him if it ever gets published.” Magnus couldn’t stop gushing about him.

“You’re writing a book? What is it about?” Jace showed some genuine interest.

“I write a fantasy novel. It is about a war between alternate universes, and a magician boy.” Magnus raised an eyebrow when Jace’s eyes widened a little.

“Sounds interesting.” Sounded exactly like the book Alec said was reading. The one  _ his friend _ wrote.

Jace didn’t talk much during the evening, but when Clary started to talk about his family, he tensed up a little. Magnus didn’t understand what was going on.

“Max, the smallest one is amazing, smart, but unfortunately he is in a boarding school. I can’t wait to meet with the other two though. I really hope Izzy will like me, I don’t have many girl-friends. I will meet the family next week, and I am mostly worried about the parents, but Jace has an older brother, who sounds like a grumpy cat.” 

Now it was Magnus’ turn to widen his eyes when the penny dropped. Alec talked a lot about his siblings. Did Jace know? He tried to remember back what he said about him before but couldn’t figure out if there was any giveaway. 

“Yeah, Alec is a grumpy cat most of the time, but I really hope this will change now that he finally started dating. Maybe this Lydia will finally deflower my dear brother and pull out that stick from his ass.” Jace watched Magnus for any reaction and when he had seen a second of hurt on his face, his eyebrow shot up in shock.

Magnus saw Jace’s reaction and knew immediately that their secret was out. He tried to read the other’s face, but he hadn’t given any sign other than surprise. They made a silent agreement not to discuss further and went back to small talk for the rest of the evening. Magnus couldn’t wait to get out and call Alexander, to warn him. 

Clary and Magnus ordered a bottle of wine and were in deep conversation when Magnus realised Jace went out to the toilet and hadn’t come back for a while. 

“Clary, where is Jace?” There was a slight panic in his voice.

“He went home about half an hour ago. Did I forget to tell you?” Clary looked confused when Magnus jumped up and ran out of the pub.

\- 

Alec sat on his bed, reading a book when his door slammed open and Jace barged in.

_ “We need to talk!” _

  
  
  



	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jace and Alec talk..

“We need to talk!”

Alec heard his phone ringing on the bedside table, but he ignored it. Jace looked upset.

“About?” he asked carefully.

“I met Magnus.” Alec stopped breathing. He felt his hand start shaking, but Jace’s face remained unreadable. “We had a really interesting conversation about a book he wrote.” 

_ Damn it! Why did I tell him about the book I’ve read? _

“Won’t you say something Alec? What is going on? It seems like that guy thinks you two are a couple. But that can’t be because you are with Lydia, right? You said you read the book of a friend, so that’s Magnus, right? Just a friend, who misunderstood the situation?” Alec had seen on his face that Jace was trying really hard to understand.

“Uhm.” Alec couldn’t speak, there was a giant lump in his throat, and he couldn’t breathe.

“But he also said you kissed. Have you been drunk? Or are you experimenting?” Jace’s façade broke and he sat down on the corner of the bed. “Please say something.” 

The silence was horrible, Alec’s brain worked really hard to come up with something, a good explanation, anything. Jace would be angry with him. He wasn’t ready. This wasn’t how he wanted to tell him, but maybe he should be honest with his brother at least now.

“I’m gay.”

Jace took a deep breath but didn’t look up. He kept staring at the floor.

“I’m sorry.” Alec couldn’t think of anything else to say. He felt the tears on his cheek but couldn’t move to wipe them off. His phone started to ring again.

“You should pick that up. Magnus must be worried.”

Alec picked up his phone and it was indeed Magnus’ number. 

“Alexander, thank God, I finally reach you! I just met your brother and he knows. I think he is on his way home. I am so, so sorry!” Magnus’ voice was desperate.

“Yes, he is already here.” Alec couldn’t tear his gaze away from Jace. He kept looking at the floor, playing with the hem of his shirt. “I’ll call you back.” He put down the phone and reached out his hand towards Jace. He flinched at the touch, then stood up. 

“I don’t get it, Alec. Since when? How did this happen?” Jace looked hurt and Alec felt guilty for not telling him. 

“I’ve always been gay, this isn’t something that just happened over night. You remember the first time you talked about the girls on the playground? I was looking at the boys. I am sorry for not telling you, but I didn’t know how.”

“How about ‘Hey, Jace, I am gay, so please try not to push every single girl in my way.’ I feel like a jerk and also hurt, because you didn’t feel like you could tell me.” Jace started pacing, brushing one hand through his hair, trying to calm himself.

“Yes, you are right, I should’ve told you. I thought you would look at me differently.” Alec couldn’t hold back his sob anymore and Jace moved immediately to hold him. They hugged silently for a while before Alec talked again. “I am sorry.”

“Enough of that. But there is something I want to ask.” Alec pulled back and nodded for Jace to go ahead. “Is he… or are you… you know.” 

“No, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.” Alec raised an eyebrow, Jace seemed a bit uncomfortable.

“I mean sex. Is he, or are you…you know.” Jace wiggled his eyebrow at him and Alec picked up a pillow and punched Jace straight in the face. 

“Jace!” He shouted with wide eyes. Yes, he knew more about his brother’s sex life than he wanted, but that didn’t mean he would talk about it at all.

“I mean I saw Magnus, so I would put my bet on him, but he is also so confident, it would be hard to imagine him giving in like that.” Alec now jumped on top of Jace, kept punching him with the pillow while laughing hard.

“You idiot. I will not talk about this with you, ever.” They panted hard when Alec climbed off Jace. 

“Jokes aside, you know you can talk with me whenever you want, about whatever you want.” Alec had never seen Jace this sympathetic. Clary must be a really good influence.

“Thanks. This means a lot to me. Although don’t say whenever, because I woke Izzy up twice, and she definitely wasn’t happy.” 

“So, Izzy knows? I would be offended if I thought you actually told her. She figured it out on her own right?” Jace smiled and Alec bent his head down.

“Of course she did. She is the smartest of us.”

“I will try not to get offended by that comment.”

They spent another half an hour talking, then Jace told Alec to call his boyfriend, then walked out. Alec felt relieved. He had two supporting siblings. He grabbed his phone to call Magnus.

“Hey Magnus, sorry I just hung up on you earlier. I wasn’t sure how it would go.”

“Don’t worry, darling. How did it go?” The concern in his voice was clear.

“It went surprisingly well. He’ll support me against our parents when I come out to them.” Alec took a deep breath, he wouldn’t have thought a few weeks ago that he would say ‘when’ and not ‘if’. Magnus’ presence in his life changed so many things in such a short period of time.

“That is wonderful, I am so glad. I felt so bad that I kind of outed you. I had no idea that Clary dates your brother.”

“Don’t worry Magnus, I think it is actually good that it is out now. I was afraid to tell him myself, maybe it is better that I had a little push.”

“Good then. Now sleep, Alexander, you sound exhausted. We will talk tomorrow. Goodnight darling.”

“Yeah this was a really long day. Goodnight Magnus.”

Even though he was exhausted, he couldn’t fall asleep. He had so many things going through his head. Now that his siblings were on his side, he just needed to figure out how to come out to his parents, and where to crash when they kicked him out. He also needed to figure out how to get rid of Lydia. Maybe he should’ve let Magnus or Izzy do whatever they wanted with her. There were 3 weeks left from this semester, so he could find a job when he finished. 

Yes. Job, coming out, moving out. Good plan.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Few drinks, and some Malec time

The next few days were a blur with college, talking with Magnus, and job hunting. Alec felt more and more nervous as his parents’ evening was getting closer. He wanted to get rid of Lydia and not to see her ever again. At least his relationship with Jace was getting better, even if this meant that he had to go out on a weeknight with their college friends for some drinks.

It was nice to hang out with them, and this was the first time Alec hadn’t tried to avoid Underhill. He was a really nice guy and Alec felt horrible that he refused to spend time with him just because he was gay. After a few rounds of drinks, they had a pool championship where Alec won by far, without cheating, no matter what Jace said. 

When they went to grab another round, Jace turned serious.

“What are you doing, bro? I thought you were with Magnus.”

“What are you talking about? I  _ am _ with Magnus.” Alec was confused, and a little tipsy. He had no idea what Jace was talking about.

“You and Underhill? He was all over you all night, and you let him, even encourage him?” 

“What? No! I wouldn’t! I like Magnus, I most definitely did not encourage Andrew. He is just a friend. No, actually he is a friend of a friend. I am pretty sure he wouldn’t hang out with us if Mike wasn’t his roommate. If I remember correctly, you only invited him, and Andrew just tagged along.” Alec knew Underhill liked to talk to him but hadn’t thought much about it. Mike was one of his best friends in college, they hung out a lot, their friendship even survived when Mike asked Izzy out, dated a few times then Izzy chewed and spit him out within two weeks. Alec loved his sister with all his heart, but she was ruthless with her lovers. 

“Okay, if you say so, but be careful. He wants you,” Jace said, looking a bit concerned. 

“Yeah, don’t worry. I am not even out yet and happily dating a wonderful man. I think you misunderstand this. Just because we are both gay, that doesn’t mean he wants me.” Andrew was a good-looking, popular guy, there were probably many guys who would jump at the opportunity. There was no way that two good looking popular guys would be interested in him. That was just absurd.

When he got home, his head still buzzing, he had to send a text to Magnus immediately.

‘Hey! How did your night go? We had good fun and guess what, now that Jace knows I am gay, he thinks our only gay friend is hitting on me.😩 I am so glad I have you, or he would probably want to set me up with every single gay on campus. 🤦‍😂😂’

‘Hello darling! I guess I have to have a talk with Jace… I spent my night in my bed, finishing up the book with your suggestions. I will start to send it off for a couple of publishers tomorrow.😬😬 I am glad you enjoyed your night, now go to sleep, tomorrow will come early. Have nice dreams about me 😘😘’

He went to bed thinking about Magnus, their two dates and all the future ones they could have. When he closed his eyes, he could see Magnus’ smile and his beautiful eyes.

The next day he had a horrible headache in college and swore not to say yes to Jace on weekdays ever again. It was unfair that neither Mike nor Andrew looked as horrible as Alec felt. The fact that Magnus hadn’t replied to his text didn’t help either. Magnus was working, but he always made time for a quick text. It was 2pm by the time he got a reply.

‘Hello darling, I am truly sorry I was MIA, I had a super busy morning, then I had lunch with Dot. I didn’t even realize what time it was, only when Clary called me to tell me I am late from lunch. How is your hangover?’

Alec felt his heart skipping a beat. Magus had lunch with Dot? He mentioned her before, she was his friend with benefits, but they stopped seeing each other when she wanted more. Why did he have lunch with her now? Magnus knew that Alec was a virgin, but they had only two dates. Was he already tired of him? They hadn’t had the talk about being exclusive yet, but would Magnus just tell him like this that he went out to have sex with his fuck buddy during lunchtime? No, Alec couldn’t be that kind of guy that got jealous after two dates. If Magnus wanted to do this more casually for now, he wouldn’t say anything.

‘Hey Magnus! My head hurts like hell, and I want burritos so, so much, but other than that I’ll survive. Can’t say the same about Jace though. 🤔 I may kill him when we get home.🙄 Don’t ever let me go out on a weekday please 😩🥺’

‘Don’t worry babe, I can’t promise that I will stop you, but I promise I will take care of you😉😘’

Alec felt his heart ache. Did he mean that? Alec knew that it was way too early to imagine growing old with someone, but he couldn’t stop himself. He could imagine a future with Magnus, getting married, having kids … all of it.

‘Thank you Magnus, I really appreciate that’

Alec spent the rest of the day thinking about Magnus and their relationship over and over again. Was this a relationship already? Was Magnus just messing around? If Magnus wasn’t serious, was it worth risking everything for? If his parents kicked him out and Magnus broke up with him, what would he have left? If he didn’t meet Magnus, would he be thinking about coming out? 

He was deep in thought on the way out of school when he heard a really bad bird imitation from behind a tree nearby. It was Magnus. He stood there, beautiful as ever, with a bag in his hand. Alec walked towards him and stopped a few feet away. He leaned on a tree with a lopsided grin.

“What was that supposed to be? A crow dying from throat cancer?” He couldn’t hold back a laugh when he saw Magnus’ fake offended look.

“Excuse you, I want to hear you making a better bird noise. And I wouldn’t be too cocky if I were you, I am the wonderful man who brought you the burritos your hangover craves.” 

Alec opened his mouth a couple of times but couldn’t say a word. He was too overwhelmed. Magnus came here just to bring him hangover food. 

They sat down on a bench and ate in comfortable silence. When they finished, Magnus stood up to leave, but turned around when Alec performed a perfect imitation of a chaffinch.

“Where did that come from Alexander?” he asked with awe in his voice and shock on his face.

Alec smiled fondly, “Grams.”

  
  
  
  



	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lightwood evening

Alec stood in front of the mirror, trying to straighten his tie, unsuccessfully. He despised evenings like this, where his parents gained even more money and support, where they all had to pretend to be the perfect family. 

There was a knock on his door and Jace entered the room.

“Hey, are you done? Dad said you have to leave early to pick up Lydia so you two can arrive together,” said Jace, concern written all over his face.

“Yeah, I’m ready. Wish me luck.” Alec walked past him, said goodbye to Izzy, and walked out to his car. This would be a really long night. 

When he arrived at the Branwell house, Lydia was already by the door, ready to go. She tried to kiss Alec on arrival, but he managed to quickly turn around to open the door for her. Lydia talked throughout the whole trip, but Alec couldn’t hear most of it. His mind was somewhere in Brooklyn, where Magnus had a quiet evening with his friends.

The paparazzi at the entrance took at least a hundred pictures of them on the short walk from the car. Alec was glad they were able to walk past them without the need for more contact, Lydia was posing happily on his side just with a hand around the waist.

Jace looked nervously around, but his face lit up when he saw Alec.

“Finally! I need you. I want to introduce Clary to Mom and Dad, but I need backup. She is in the bathroom. When she comes back, please be nice to her.” Alec could see how serious Jace was about this girl, so he nodded.

“Clary who?” Lydia asked curiously. Alec had almost forgotten for a second that she was there.

“Clary Fray, my girlfriend,” answered Jace, looking at her suspiciously.

“I don’t recognise her family name. Is she even a someone?” 

Alec could see the vein on Jace’s neck starting to pulse.

“She is my girlfriend,” he said briefly.

She rolled her eyes at that, then walked away towards the bar without another word. Alec took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

“Well, she’s a bitch!” That was all Jace said and it was all that could be said. The next second, a short ginger girl walked towards them and Jace wrapped a hand around her immediately.

“Alec, this is Clary. Clary, this is my brother Alec.”

She smiled at him and held out her hand.

“Alec, I am so glad I finally meet you. Heard so much about you.” She made a weird thing with her eyes, probably trying to imply their other connection.

“Nice to meet you. I heard a lot about you too.” He rolled his eyes, but gave a lopsided grin as an answer for her silent communication.

They talked for a few minutes before moving towards their parents. He could feel the tension growing in both of them. When they stopped in front of them, he could see the disapproval on their face immediately. They gave the bare minimum of courtesy for Clary and when Lydia walked up to them, they turned around immediately, ignoring the other girl.

“Lydia, darling, it is so wonderful to see you!” Their father used the sweetest voice, no one had ever heard before. 

“Robert, it is good to see you too. This evening is fantastic! Maryse, you’ve really outdone yourself this time.” Their interaction was painful to watch. Alec thought he would never see his parents acting like this around Magnus. He looked up to see Jace, the disappointment clear in his eyes. They would never approve of Clary either. They both stood there quietly while listening to their parents sucking up to Lydia.

The rest of the evening was really boring, mainly talking with their parents’ colleagues and possible supporters. When they finally managed to have a small talk with everyone, Lydia grabbed Alec’s hand and dragged him to dance. Alec felt sick, being this close to her again.

“Can you imagine, in five years, we will make an evening like this? Can’t wait.” 

Alec felt the urge to say something, to stop her thinking about their future together.

“Don’t you think that maybe you go a bit too much ahead? We were on one date, it is ridiculous to even think about marriage yet.” He hoped that she could see at least a little sense, but her next words confirmed his suspicions about her brain capacity.

“Don’t be silly, there is no question there. We will get married. There is no way you could find a better match than me. We are the ultimate power couple. We are made to reach the White House.” Her grip on his neck grew, she was trying to pull him down into kiss, but Alec couldn’t let that happen ever again. Not now that he knew what the real deal felt.

“Lydia, look. I am sure you are a nice girl, but we won’t get married. I know our parents want that but…” Alec took a deep breath, he wanted this to stop right there. “I am seeing someone, and I really like them. I never agreed to date you, my dad basically just gave me an order. I just want you to know, there is no future for us.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous. Whoever that girl is, you have no future. I am no monster though, you can keep dating her for now, you’ll realise soon enough there is no better match than us.” She looked at him so seriously, Alec considered just telling her the truth, just so he could get rid of her.

“No. Don’t hold onto that. It will not happen. Please, Lydia, I need you to understand. There is no ‘us’. There is me and them, but not you and me. And there never will be. Neither of us would be happy if we were to get married. You deserve more.” Alec tried really hard to make her see reason. She stopped the dancing, stood up straight, chin as high as possible.

“You’ll see. I don’t understand why you are so reluctant, but you will come to your senses. Call me as soon as you realise what is the best for you.” She turned around and walked away. Alec immediately felt the tension leaving his body. He felt so much lighter. 

_ One awful person done, two more to go. _


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lightwood dinner

Alec spent the day after the event in his room, searching for jobs that were flexible enough so he could attend college, but also paid enough so he could attend college. It was really hard, but he managed to send in a couple of applications. He also researched what he needed to do to change his major. Alec never wanted to be a lawyer, he hated people too much for that. Luckily, he was one of the best in his class, so it shouldn’t be a problem being accepted for veterinary school. If his parents kicked him out, he could even apply for a scholarship. Now that Jace and Izzy were on his side and he managed to get rid of Lydia, Alec felt the finish line getting closer. He hoped he would be ready in one or two months maybe, if he was lucky enough to find a job.

Alec felt nervous. He never planned to come out before, now he couldn’t wait to do it. He couldn’t wait to be with Magnus openly. Alec knew it was still early and they hadn’t had the talk about what they were, exclusive or not, or where they were going, but he never felt this happy and free in his entire life.

When Alec went downstairs for family dinner, he immediately felt the tension in the room was bigger than usually. His siblings already sat there silently and his parents were nowhere to be seen. 

“What’s going on?” he whispered to Jace.

“I have no idea. They came home about half an hour ago, looking angry, and haven’t said a word since. My guess is that one of us is in trouble.” 

“I would bet on you, Jace. You brought a not suitable girl for the event last night,” Izzy whispered just in time as the door opened and their parents took a seat. 

Alec knew they weren’t happy about Clary, but he felt this was a bit too much. She was a nice girl, Jace didn’t deserve this treatment.

They ate in silence for about two whole minutes before their father cleared his throat and they all looked up and saw Robert’s eyes on Alec. 

“I talked to Lydia’s father this morning. He said Lydia went home last night early and she was upset. Apparently, you told her you don’t want anything to do with her.” His voice was cold and Alec tried to swallow, but his mouth was suddenly very dry.

What should he say now? Of course, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. 

“Yes, I did. I told you before, I don’t want to be with her. I have enough problems without having a girlfriend. Sorry, Dad.” 

Alec knew his voice was barely audible by the end of his sentence, but he held eye contact. The vein on his father’s neck was pulsing dangerously. 

“And I told you that I don’t care. You will call her after dinner, you will apologise and take her out. You do whatever I say. Understood?”

For years, he obeyed his father’s every single order, but this time he couldn’t just be the good boy he always had been. 

“No.”

The tension could be cut in the room, it was as if no one took a breath for a full minute. Alec resisted the urge to look down in surrender, he knew if he broke the eye contact it would be over. He wasn’t ready to come out yet, but he was ready to take a stand against his father in this. He had to be strong.

“No?” Robert asked intimidatingly. Alec knew this wasn’t a question of not understanding, it was a chance for him to change his answer. 

“No.”

“Alright.”

At this moment, Alec was pretty sure he had a stroke. Did his father really say ‘alright’? Alec almost felt hope rising in his chest when his father continued.

“I am no monster, I understand that you are a young man. You need more options. I will arrange a date with the Mayweather girl.” He looked at his wife who smiled and nodded approvingly. 

“Yes, she is really lovely. I am sure you’ll like her Alec,” she said, trying to smile encouragingly.

Alec had known it was too good to be true. His parents wouldn't just stop like that. He had to figure something out.

“I won’t see her either. I am already seeing someone.” He knew this was risky, but he had to try.

“You’re seeing someone? Why is this the first time I hear about this? Isn’t she noble enough? Please, tell me she isn’t just a nobody like Jace’s little toy.” Robert had pure disgust on his face as he waved his hand towards Jace and Alec felt something snap in him. He was alright taking every bullshit his father said to him, but he couldn’t just stay quiet if he said something about his siblings. He stood up slowly, almost threateningly.

“Stop this bullshit. I get that you think we all should have an arranged unhappy marriage like yours, with some aristocrat, or someone with good connections, but you can’t talk about people like this. Clary is a really nice girl and Jace really loves her.” Alec felt the dam breaking, years’ worth of pain flooding free. “We are who we are, not who you say we should be. You can’t tell us what to do, or who to love. You may not approve our choices, but enough is enough! I won’t just sit here and let you ruin our lives just so you’ll look good in front of your associates. I have never been this happy in my life, and you ruin it with your shit. I won’t ever go out with any of those annoying spoiled girls, no matter what you say. He makes me feel amazing and I won’t give that up for anything.” His father’s eye went wide somewhere in the middle of his shouting, but he didn’t say a word for a few seconds.

“He?” 

That’s all he asked and Alec’s face went white.  _ Fuck. _ This was a so not the way he wanted to do it. He was not ready for this conversation. He heard the chair moving and felt the presence of his siblings next to him. They were here with him, they supported him. He could do this.

“Yes.” Alec held the eye contact firmer than before. This was it. 

Their father looked at his wife, both standing up at the same time, then walked towards the front door. He opened it, then turned back, looking in his eye one last time.

_ “Get out!” _


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec kicked out from home, confused, drunk and upset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!  
> Read the new tag!  
> Sorry, I really hope you’ll stay with me until I fix this 😬😬

Alec could hear his siblings’ shouting through the door that had been slammed behind him. He knew this would happen once the truth was out, but he really hoped he would only do it when he was ready with a plan. Now he had no idea where to go. His first thought was Magnus of course, but they only had a few dates and they hadn’t exactly talked about what they were, or where they were going. He couldn’t just go there and ask him for a spot on the couch. Not to mention his mom. She was amazing, but probably she would have problems with his son’s  _ whatever _ staying there indefinitely. 

Mike. He had his own place and had a comfortable couch. He could ask him if he could stay there for a few days until he figured out what to do. On the way there, Alec sent a quick message to his siblings, knowing they would be worried about him. 

When he arrived at Mike’s, he knocked on the door and took a step back when Andrew opened it. He completely forgot about the roommate. 

“Hey Andrew, is Mike here? I was hoping I could talk to him.”

“Alec, good to see you! No, he is out, but you are more than welcome to stay and wait for him.” He took a step back so Alec could walk past him. “Do you want something to drink? We pretty much have everything.” Andrew walked towards the kitchen, then opened the cupboard to take out some glasses.

Alec considered refusing it. He wasn’t much of a drinker, but what would be a better reason to get drunk than have your parents kick you out the house.

“Yeah, sure, give me something strong.” Alec could see the surprise on Andrew’s face but he started to mix a drink anyway. When they sat down on the couch and Alec took a sip of his drink, he felt the alcohol moving down his throat, burning it inch by inch. He just stared in front of him for a few minutes, the night’s events just sinking in.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Andrew looked sincerely and Alec actually needed to talk this whole mess out, and Andrew was as good as anyone else. 

“My parents arranged a date for me with a girl a few weeks ago and told me that I should marry her in the future. She was horrible, so I finally told my parents no. They wanted to set me up with someone else and that’s when I accidentally came out to them. They kicked me out and here I am, hoping that Mike will let me crash on his couch for a few days until I figure out what the hell I am supposed to do.” Alec is pretty sure he said this in one breath, so he took a deep one, then gulped down the rest of his drink in one go. 

“Well, if this isn’t a reason to get wasted, I’m not sure what is.” And with that Andrew stood up, walked to the kitchen, and came back with a bottle. They spent the next hour getting drunk and talking about bigot parents. It turned out, Andrew had a similar problem. His parents wouldn’t accept him, so he left and hadn’t talked to them since. He gave some good advice to Alec about finding a job and applying for scholarships.

Alec felt more optimistic about his future now and pleasantly buzzed, he hadn’t even realised how close Andrew moved to him. He had a good time finally talking out everything that was on his shoulder and Jace wasn’t right. Andrew was simply friendly. Not all gays hit on every gay they see. 

“When does Mike come home? I thought he would be here by now,” Alec asked, his tongue felt a bit numb, maybe he should stop drinking soon.

“Yeah, he texted that he won’t be home tonight, he stays with his girlfriend. Don’t worry, you can stay as long as you want,” he smiled, then put his hand on Alec’s knee. 

Alec looked down, thinking this may be a bit more friendly than normal, but before Magnus, no one had ever looked at him that way. Andrew was good looking, he must have many opportunities out there. Alec was pretty sure he mentioned Magnus earlier. Or didn’t he? The whole night started to become a blur. He was too upset about the whole coming out and kicked out thing, maybe he hadn’t mentioned that he was actually seeing someone. 

Alec wanted to tell this to Andrew, just in case he was actually hitting on him, so he looked up and realised a bit too late that Andrew was moving closer to him. When he felt his mouth against his, he was shocked and utterly confused, although it took about two second for him to push Andrew away and jump up from the couch, he lost his balance for a moment, but grabbed the back of the couch just in time. 

“What are you doing?” Alec’s eyes were wide and his voice went higher than normal.

“Well, I was hoping to make out with you for a bit on the couch, then share my bedroom with you for the night, of course.” Andrew looked at him with his eyes darkened, the bulge on his pants clearly visible as he stood up and moved towards Alec. “I can’t recall you mention a boyfriend, so I thought we could have some fun.”

“I have one! Kind of… I think.” Alec felt it was hard to talk. This whole night was just crazy. “What I meant was, that I have someone I’m dating.” His face went red and he took a step back every time Andrew stepped towards him.

“What I heard was that you dated someone, but you still didn’t say boyfriend.”

Alec knew Andrew was right. They hadn’t talked about any of that before and Magnus was still going for  _ “lunch” _ with his fuck-buddy. Maybe he should just try to enjoy his freedom too. He was only twenty and stupidly, he started to plan a future with someone who even had a fuck-buddy. This whole night was a mess and he just wanted it to end, wake up in the morning with a clear head. He hadn’t even known when it happened, but with the next step his back hit the door and Andrew stepped up to him, trapping him between the wall and his body.

“I still can’t hear you say ‘boyfriend’,” he whispered, then kissed him again, this time Alec didn’t pull away. He kissed back, thinking Magnus was with that woman, fucking her while he was pining after him. He hadn’t wanted to be the clingy guy who fell in love after the first date, so he kissed Andrew back. 

The next moment though, he pushed him away, opened the door and ran out. He may be clingy, he may be too inexperienced, but he came out for Magnus and he would fight for him. He had to talk to Magnus, and he had to talk now. Alec looked down at his watch, it was nearly midnight, but this was too important and the alcohol in his system said it was a good idea to set things straight with Magnus. What an irony. Although the alcohol also said it was a good idea to kiss Andrew. Well, there was a reason why he didn't drink usually.

When he arrived at Magnus’ apartment, he felt the previous bravery leave his body, but he would not back down now.

He lifted his hand and knocked.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malec discuss what they want

Magnus sat in his room, sending out his book to publishers, when he heard a knock. He stood up and walked towards the door thinking who that could be this late. When he saw Alec standing there, looking adorably tipsy, he couldn’t help but smile. 

“Well, what a surprise. Please come in,” he said, then opened the door wide enough so Alec could stumble in. He may be a bit more tipsy than Magnus thought. “What happened, darling? Is everything okay?” He looked at Alec now a bit concerned. Alec wasn’t much of a drinker.

“I came out, then kissed someone,” Alec blurted out, then collapsed on the rug in front of the couch, holding his head between his hands. Magnus still stood by the entrance, shocked, but when he heard Alec’s sob, he closed the door and kneeled by his side immediately. His brain went crazy with questions, but he had a feeling that the coming out was harder on Alec than he could imagine. 

“Alexander, it's okay, you can talk to me. Why don’t you start at the beginning?” Magnus put his hand around Alec’s shoulders and he felt the flinch, then Alec started crying even more. He could barely make out the words ‘kick out’ and ‘street’ between the sobs, but Magnus got the picture. Now the only thing bugging him was that kiss, but he knew he couldn’t push him. Alec had to calm down first, or he would start hyperventilating soon. 

“Darling, you need to calm down. Please take a deep breath for me,” he said softly, then started drawing soothing circles on his back. 

“Why do you call me ‘darling’? Magnus what are we doing?” he sobbed desperately, looking up to Magnus.

“I call you darling, because I like to use endearments for you. And what do you want to do? I was hoping we would keep dating, but if you don’t want that anymore, I understand that too.” Magnus knew he never had luck with relationships, but he hoped he could keep him for at least a little bit longer. 

“I want to date too, but I want to know where this is going. You had lunch with Dot and knowing you were with her hurt me. When my parents kicked me out, my first thought was to come to you, because I wanted to tell you, but then I thought we are not there yet.” Alec looked down on his hands and started fidgeting with a hole in his jeans. “I planned to sleep on a friend’s couch, but only his roommate was there. We drank, then he kissed me. I kissed him back. All I could think about was you with your fuck-buddy and I hated it. I know I am inexperienced, but I want you. Only you, and only for myself.” 

Magnus knew he should probably feel at least a little bit upset about the kiss, but Alec was right. They hadn’t talked about them yet. It wasn’t really cheating, and he could only concentrate on the end of that sentence anyway. Alec wanted only him, and only for himself. Magnus could feel his heart wanting to jump out of his chest.

“I want only you too,” he said quietly, gently lifting Alec’s chin, “and nothing happened with Dot. We stopped being fuck-buddies for a while now. Haven’t even thought about being with her since the first time we talked. I may be more experienced, but I am really happy with you.”

Alec stopped crying and they just stared at each other for a minute.

“I am so sorry Magnus. I feel horrible. I didn’t want to kiss Andrew, but he kept saying that I had no boyfriend and at that moment I knew he was right. I ran out from there and came here, because I want to have a boyfriend. I want  _ you _ to be my boyfriend.” Alec finally took a deep breath, looking sobered up from all the emotional talking.  _ What was it with alcohol and emotions? _

“I would love to be your boyfriend, Alexander. Now come on, get up from the floor, you can sleep here.” Magnus stood up, holding out his hand and pulling Alec up with him. He led him to his bedroom, turned away while Alec undressed and climbed into the bed, then put down a glass of water on the bedside table. He wanted to walk out when Alec grabbed his wrist.

“You’re not sleeping here?” He looked so hot with the duvet only around his waist, his naked chest on full display.

“I’m not sure that would be a good idea, Alexander. You look way too gorgeous for me to be a gentleman, and I don’t want to take advantage of you being drunk and vulnerable.” Magnus took a deep breath, fighting down his arousal. 

“I am sober enough to decide if I want to spend the night with my  _ boyfriend,”  _ he said, raising an eyebrow invitingly, “Not to mention that this boyfriend was the main reason I’ve been kicked out. The least said boyfriend could do is to prove me it was worth it.” Alec looked at him seductively and pulled him closer. 

“You just wanted to say boyfriend as many times as you could,” said Magnus, but the last of his resolve broke as soon as Alec kissed him. 

Magnus let himself be pulled on top of Alec and they kissed like there was no tomorrow. When he felt Alec’s hand moving down between them, he grabbed his wrist and pulled back once more. 

“Are you sure, darling? I don’t want you to do this because you think I want to. I also don’t want you to do this if you are not ready.” 

“Magnus, I want to do this, because I am a twenty-year-old virgin whose boyfriend is an Adonis. I don’t think virginity is a sacred thing that should be cherished and saved for the perfect moment,” chuckled Alec, then pulled his boyfriend in for another deep kiss.

This was enough for Magnus. He never thought about virginity that way either and his boyfriend was the most gorgeous man on earth. Most people’s first time was a horrible experience. Magnus could still remember his. He had been at a party when the school’s most popular girl simply pulled him into the bathroom and basically used him. Not that he was against it, he was a 16 year old teenage boy after all. But he would make sure that Alec had a better first time.   
He took good care of Alec, made sure he enjoyed their first night together as boyfriends. 


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning after

When Magnus woke up, he felt amazing, and warm. He opened his eyes and was glad that it wasn’t a dream. Alexander was there with him, snoring adorably in his arms. Last night was crazy for both of them, but it brought them together and that was the only thing that mattered. His boyfriend may be inexperienced, but he was definitely not innocent. 

Magnus carefully climbed out the bed and dressed up. A breakfast in bed would be the perfect way to spend the morning with Alec. He walked out of the room and started preparing his famous blueberry muffin batter and cooked up a full English breakfast. He would never admit it to Ragnor but there was no better cure for a hangover than the full fry-up. When he was done, he took the plate in his bedroom and put it down on the bedside table. He bent down to kiss Alec’s forehead when he heard the front door opening.

“Alexander, I made breakfast darling. I will be back in a minute.” Magnus kissed his forehead again and when his boyfriend made an adorable noise while shifting, he walked out of the room again. He wanted to cuddle Alec so badly, but he had a mission.

“Hey, Mom, how was work? Do you want some muffin tops?” Magnus walked around the kitchen island and put down the still hot muffin tops in front of her.

“Hello, darling. It was really long. One of the machines stopped working again, so we just stood around for hours. I hate it when it is this boring.” She closed her eyes as she took a bite of the muffin. It was delicious as always. “What have you done with the bottoms?” Her favourite was the muffin top, Magnus knew it, but it was weird that he put extra effort to make her a big pile of it.

“I hope it is good, I haven’t tasted it yet. I will make a pie from the bottoms.” Magnus put the freshly brewed coffee in front of her, when there was a cough coming from his bedroom. He kept smiling at his mother, like nothing had happened.

“It is lovely as always, although I think there is a slight bribing aftertaste to it,” she smiled.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Can’t a son just make muffins for his hard-working mother out of pure love?” Magnus looked at her with the widest smile he could muster.

“Mhm,” she raised an eyebrow and looked at him like he was still a little boy who hid a stray cat in his bedroom.

“Fine. Alexander is here. He came out to his parents yesterday and it didn’t go well. I was hoping he could stay here for a while.” Magnus looked at her with the same puppy eyes he made when his mom found that stray cat.

“I hope you know that look only works when you are a kid, right?” 

“No. It works, because I will always be your little boy,” he batted his eyelashes at her.

“That’s not how it works. It’s like when you sang in the school and I said how wonderful you were, but when we went for karaoke night a few months ago, I didn’t hesitate for a second to tell you how awful you were. The charm of these things does disappear with age, darling,” she smirked at him.

Magnus stood there, eyes wide, and jaw somewhere on the floor.

“I am pretty sure most moms don’t think like that. Pretty please?” They both knew she was going to let Alec stay as long as he wanted. His mom had a soft spot for strays. She had loved that cat so much, it was a shame that its owner came and took it.

“Of course, he can stay,” her face softened, and they drank their coffee in silence.

-

Alec woke up to the wonderful smell of coffee and a soft kiss on his forehead. He heard the door closing by the time he managed to open his eyes. He stared at the ceiling as he remembered the night before.

_ Magnus laid on top of Alec, kissing him desperately. Alec moved his hand up Magnus’ back, pulling his shirt with it. They only broke the kiss for just enough time that he could pull off Magnus’ shirt and throw it across the room. Magnus pulled back slightly, looking deep into Alec’s eyes. _

_ “Are you sure?” His voice was a bit hoarse. _

_ “I swear if you ask me one more time…” and with that, Alec pulled Magnus back into a deep kiss. _

_ Magnus took his time, undressing Alec slowly, kissing every part of his body. When they were both finally naked, Alec’s heart sped up impossibly fast. His boyfriend was absolutely gorgeous. He couldn’t believe that Magnus actually agreed to be with him. His brain short-circuited when Magnus kissed the head of his cock. He couldn’t believe this was happening, he moaned as Magnus opened him up first with one finger, while his head moved up and down his hard member. By the time he had three fingers in, he wasn’t sure he could take it any longer.  _

_ “Magnus, I don’t want this to be over before it starts,” he grabbed Magnus’ hair and pulled him up. _

_ “Alexander, the best thing about alcohol is that it can delay climax,” he smiled, but opened the bedside drawer anyway and grabbed a condom. _

_ “Do we have to … uhm … use that?” Alec could feel his face heating up. Magnus did mention that he was tested regularly, and he read that the pleasure was bigger without it.  _

_ “Well, we don’t have to, if you don’t want it. I just thought you want to be safe.”  _

_ “I trust you.” _

_ Magnus lubed up his cock, lifted Alec’s legs a bit higher, and positioned himself up to his hole. The stretch was a bit painful at first, but Magnus pushed in so slowly, by the time he was fully inside, Alec was completely relaxed. _

_ “Alexander, you are so tight. Are you okay? Does it hurt?” _

_ “No. Move.” Alec needed more and needed it  _ **_now_ ** _. _

_ When Magnus started moving, it was like time had stopped completely. They moved together perfectly, like they were made for each other. Alec screamed when Magnus hit his prostate for the first time and he was sure this couldn’t be any more perfect. They came together and Alec was happy he said no to the condom. It was amazing to feel Magnus come deep inside of him. _

Alec finished his breakfast by the time Magnus came back.

“Mom said you can stay for as long as you want,” Magnus said, while climbing back to bed, cuddling Alec.

_ How does forever sound like? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see I have a last chapter number. Please comment what should I do? Carry on updating twice a week, or update every day?


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cute fluff

Alec couldn’t believe it had only been a month. Living with Magnus and his mom was great even though he couldn’t meet with her too many times because of her schedule. When Magnus received an offer on his book two weeks ago, Alec never would’ve thought he would get a job offer too. Magnus apparently praised him to his publisher, and they said they wanted to hire him. Alec started working a week ago and he absolutely loved it. He could earn money by reading books and he had an absolutely flexible schedule, so he was able to attend college too. He managed to change major and the fee for this semester had already been paid, so he had enough time to save up enough money for the next one. 

He talked to his sibling regularly, they said they would move out too so they could rent something together. But Alec told them no. He didn’t want them to give up their good opportunities for him. They told him that their parents were colder than usual and refused to tell Max anything about what happened. He was in boarding school, no need to stress him.

Although he really loved to live with his boyfriend and their sex life was absolutely mind blowing, he knew he had to find a new place. Alec didn’t want to impose for too long. He knew everything was perfect, but he still waited for the other shoe to drop. It couldn’t be possible that at the age of 20, his first ever boyfriend would be  _ the one _ , who also loved him back, and they would live happily ever after. That’s not how it worked in real life. It was too perfect. Magnus will get bored of him sooner or later, so now, he just enjoys it until it lasts. 

“Honey, I’m home!” Magnus truly enjoyed shouting this every day, especially because it earned an eye-roll from Alec every single time. 

“Hey, Magnus, how was work?” Alec loved this domesticity, he wished this would be his forever.

“It was absolutely amazing! Guess who got a promotion.” Magnus’ smile was all Alec needed to see.

“Congratulations! That is wonderful! You deserved it. If you carry on being successful in everything like this, I will feel really bad about myself,” he laughed, but deep down his insecurities started waking up. “I can’t even find a decent and cheap apartment. If I stay for much longer, your mom will adopt me.”

“Well, that would be awkward for our relationship,” said Magnus with a horrified expression. He grabbed Alec’s hand and pulled him over to the couch.” Actually, I wanted to talk to you about this.” He looked at their joined hands and took a deep breath. Alec knew this would happen, so he spoke before Magnus had to say it.

“I know, I shouldn’t have stayed here for this long. I promise I will find a place to live within a week. I found a couple of affordable places already. I’m sure one of them will be good,” he rambled with one breath, not once looking at Magnus. 

Magnus squeezed his hand, then with the other he lifted Alec’s chin, so he could look into his eyes.

“I don’t want to kick you out, Alexander. Quiet the opposite actually. Now that I got promoted, and got the down payment for my book, I can finally find my own place.” He took a deep breath again, then looked down at their intertwined fingers. “I was thinking if you would come with me.” 

Alec never saw Magnus so vulnerable. Would it be possible that he actually wanted to move in with him and thought Alec might say no? No, that would be absurd.

“You mean that I should go apartment hunting with you?” he asked carefully.

“Wow, Alexander, your obliviousness sometimes amazes me. No, I want you to move with me.” The tension from Magnus’ shoulder disappeared as he laughed at Alec’s imitation of a fish.

“You want me to move in with you? As in boyfriends living together?” Alec couldn’t believe what was happening. This had to be a dream.

“No, as roommates,” Magnus said sarcastically, “of course as boyfriends. I know this is a bit fast. We are only together for a month, but I really enjoy waking up with you. I don’t want this to be only temporary.” Magnus braced himself, then blurted out, “I love you!”

Alec was pretty sure he wasn’t breathing anymore. Who needed air anyway? Magnus Bane loved him. He probably should say something. 

“What?” Alec immediately face palmed himself inside.  _ What? That’s the best you’ve got? _

“I said I love you, Alexander.” There was a glint in Magnus’ eyes. He knew he just gave his super insecure boyfriend a heart attack.

“I love you too.” And with that, Alec moved forward and straddled Magnus, while kissing him deeply. 

“Aww, that was beautiful,” came a high pitched voice from the kitchen. 

Alec immediately tried to jump off of Magnus, while Magnus tried to stand up, so both of them ended up on the floor, limbs tangled.

“MOM!” Magnus managed to stand up, looking absolutely bewildered. He looked down at his boyfriend, still on the floor, head between his hands. “Alexander, darling, you could’ve told me she was home,” he whispered between his teeth.

“I forgot.” Alec still hadn’t looked up, but his neck was so deep red, it would make a beetroot jealous. 

“I love you too, Magnus, but if you could do me a favour and not do that on the couch? I would be forever grateful,” she smiled. In the last month since Alec lived with them, Alise made a sport of embarrassing them at every given opportunity. She knew Alec could take it and they were just absolutely adorable. There was no doubt that these two were endgame.

“Or, we could do it on the couch, so you’ll want to give it to us when we move out,” Magnus smirked, knowing that Alec would not be able to stand up for a few more minutes. Magnus could already feel his boyfriend tapping on his leg, trying to stop Magnus to say more.

“Oh, so this is how you plan your furniture shopping? Having sex on everything you want to take with you?” she laughed, raising an eyebrow with challenge in her voice. “I hate to break it to you, but I am working as a cleaner. There is no way I would give you my favourite couch or kitchen table just because it needs a deep clean. You are the one who got promoted and has a book that will be published. You will buy new furniture for your own place, then, when you finish there, you’ll buy some new stuff for mommy too.” Her smile was so big, it was impossible to not smile back.

“Wow, Mom, you are truly something else,” Magnus smiled fondly. They shared a knowing look. 

They would both miss their daily banters.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First argument, and discussion of future

Apartment hunting with Magnus was a nightmare and a dream come true at the same time. Magnus had a picture in his head, a really expensive one, and he refused to see reason. When Alec was getting close to a breakdown, they finally managed to find a building and area that Magnus liked, although, unfortunately, the apartment was too small. Only when they walked out did Alec see the stairs leading up to a dark and dusty attic. 

“What do you think?” Alec looked hopeful.

“What should I think? It is a dirty attic. Why did you want to come up?” Magnus looked completely confused.

“If we would buy this and the apartment below, we could have a much bigger two- storey apartment. And if we demolish that wall, we could even make a balcony.” Alec really loved the idea of moving in with Magnus, although he felt horrible that he couldn’t contribute with any money yet. 

“That actually sounds pretty great, Alexander. We definitely will have a lot to do and it will take a lot longer, but I think you are right. This will be perfect.” Magnus looked up at Alec with so much love, it almost made Alec cry. He simply couldn’t imagine how his life had changed in such a short period.

Everything felt so perfect until they had all the paperwork ready and Alec realised that Magnus had put his name down as co-owner. He tried to reason with him, saying that Magnus paid the deposit on his own, and that it was really irresponsible of him to include Alec, but Magnus was having none of it. 

“Magnus, please. I love you, but we have known each other for less than three months. You have to think about yourself. What if you get bored of me and we break up? I could have half the apartment. I haven’t paid in anything yet!” Alec was glad that they had their first argument while Alise was out working, probably even the neighbours heard them shouting. On one hand Alec was devastated to have a fight with Magnus, but on the other hand he knew this was good. Communication was key, all couples fought sometimes but that only made them stronger. 

“No, Alexander! We agreed to move together, I don’t want to be your Landlord. I want you to be my equal. Right now, you may not have money but maybe in five years I will be broke and you will be the well-paid vet. This is how things work. I refuse to even think that we would ever break up. I will never get bored of you. I love you and you will never get rid of me.” Magnus was furious. Deep down he knew that Alec was right, but the fact that Alec already thought about a possible break-up caused bile to rise in his throat. 

“Then marry me!” Alec shouted, hands in the air in frustration. He had no idea where this came from, he just told Magnus not to be irresponsible so early on in their relationship and here he was, asking his boyfriend who he only knew for a few months to bind his life to his forever. This was crazy. Magnus would think he was insane and throw him out immediately. 

They stood there in silence what felt like forever. Magnus with wide eyes, waiting for Alec to say something else, Alec waiting for Magnus to react something.  _ Anything. _

“Okay.”

“What?” Alec was sure he had an aneurysm. Magnus said 'okay'? He had no idea what made him propose so sudden in the middle of a fight, but he knew Magnus was _ it _ for him. He couldn’t imagine a future without him.  _ Well, there goes the logical, responsible thinking.  _ This was his first relationship, a really short one so far but there was no way, if Magnus said yes for the future together, that he would give that up. “Really? You mean that?” he whispered.

“Yes. I meant what I said, Alexander. I want to have my future with you. I know we only started this relationship officially barely two months ago, but I never felt this way before. I don’t think I can live without you.” Magnus took a step closer and whispered the last words in Alec’s mouth before kissing him lovingly. 

The door opened the next moment and Alise walked in, looking exhausted. When she saw them hugging and kissing happily, she had to ask, “What happened?”

“We’re getting married!” Magnus shouted excitedly, his voice unusually high pitched. 

“Are you pregnant?” She raised an eyebrow, unable to believe what she just heard. 

“No, Mom, neither of us is pregnant. You know how that works right? Someone must have a womb in the equation and as far as I’m aware, neither of us has one,” Magnus said mockingly, but still smiling so wide Alec was afraid his face would split in two.

“Sorry, darling, I know how that works but I also know that if two people in their early twenties are getting married, there is usually a pregnancy involved. Although this would be an amazing twist in my book, as a responsible mother, I have to ask. Why? Are you sure?”

“I am sure I love him, Mom. I’m sure it will surprise you though that it wasn’t my idea first. So, ask Alexander why he thought of this.” Magus sent a mischievous grin to his fiancé. 

“Throwing me under the bus three minutes into our engagement?” Alec whispered between his teeth so only Magnus could hear it. “Well, Alise I could probably come up with a good, logical explanation if I would have some time, but honestly, I don’t know. It just came out. I didn’t think.” Alec blushed adorably under Alise’s judging look. 

She searched something in his eyes that she probably found because the next moment she moved forward and hugged Alec. He looked perplexed at Magnus, who only smiled back at him. Magnus knew that his mother would support him in everything. She was also a hopeless romantic who believed in love at first sight. 

That night, they fell asleep in each other’s arms, happier than ever.


End file.
